Lent

You are dust, and to dust you shall return.

There’s nothing quite like that verse to keep one humble. I think it comes from Genesis 3…but correct me if I’m wrong.

I’ve been thinking about the approach of Lent for a few weeks now. I’ve been asking myself what it will mean for me, and what I hope to get out of it. Lent is not just a time of “giving something up.” Lent is a journey toward the cross. It’s when we must relive our sins…feeling the slow, heavy footsteps of our savior walking to his suffering and death. It’s a time of repentance. It’s a time where we realize that God is with us through it all…even the toughest of times. Lent is a journey to the cross, but because of who Jesus is and what He did, it is also a journey to salvation.

If we are of dust, and will return to dust…what really matters in this world? What is the point? We can’t take anything with us when we die, right? I wanted my lenten journey to reflect that a bit. I wanted to remind myself of where my priorities really lie. (Or where they should). So I’m doing three things for lent.

1. 40 days of water I’ve been starting to think that maybe I was put on this earth so that I could help as many people as possible. I’m not trying to say that I think I’m the only one who can help people like it’s something super special. I’m just one of many. I’m doing what I can to alleviate poverty and other suffering. So I will give up all beverages except for water, and give the money I would have spent to the Blood:Water Mission so that they can provide clean water for people in Africa who have none.

2. 40 bags of stuff. I got this idea online somewhere. I’ve been feeling a bit cluttered again lately. So to help me remember where my priorities lie, and what is truly important, I am going to fill one bag per day with “stuff” from my home. It might be garbage, or shredded paper from the filing cabinet. It might be clothes for goodwill or kitchen gadgets I rarely use. I’m going to fill one bag per day and get it out of the house to free up room for what is important.

3. Daily prayers. I’m going to read the daily prayers in the morning and in the evening. I’ll be using Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. I may comment more on this later.

Anyway, I’m not sharing my lenten journey to say “Look at me. Look at what I’m doing.” I think sharing it will help me stay accountable. And maybe by sharing I’ll discover something new about myself or about my journey to the cross.