Lent: part two

As promised, I am here to update you on my quest into historical, liturgical Christianity—also known as my first attempt to observe Lent. We were a little overzealous to give up coffee, but we are sticking to it. There was only one disagreement between TM and me about it. I thought it would be OK to have it when friends were over because we were having a party. It seemed like something that would be allowed. TM disagreed, so I had some and he didn’t. I was also offered coffee at a friend’s house. She was making cocoa for the kids. At first I thought it would be OK to have decaf, but then I decided to stick with the cocoa. I did give up coffee after all, not caffeine. I miss the coffee, but that is the point. I’m glad to have such a vivid reminder of Christ’s suffering. When I think about it that way, I know I have no business complaining.

I have gotten really into tea lately… I’m drinking iced tea every day and even started putting sugar in it. I guess I’m an official Southerner now. I am enjoying my cup of tea in the morning. Now the question is: What will happen after Easter? Will I start drinking decaf on a regular basis? Will I embrace my English roots and stick with tea? Only time will tell. But enough silliness. OK, just a little more. I saw a really good movie last week--the new Pride and Prejudice. (What with the Narnia craze, the tea, and TM’s Anglican seminary, I am getting a little obsessed with the English.) Right before we watched the movie, one of the girls asked me what it was about. I said, "It’s about a family with a lot of girls who all want to get married. Hmm… Little Women is about a family with four girls. All the good stories are about families with lots of girls. I guess that’s where the drama is. Maybe someday they will write stories about our family!"

Sorry, I’m really having trouble staying on topic here. In addition to giving up coffee, I have endeavored to read the morning and evening scripture selections from the Book of Common Prayer. All are centered on the themes of suffering, redemption, love, … After reading through the Bible in a year for a few years, I’ve been slacking on consistent Bible reading. This has been a great way to get back into a routine; having a theme has helped me better process what I’m reading and find applications. I plan to continue using the BCP for daily Bible readings throughout the year. He is Risen!

Discovering Lent

I’ve never considered observing Lent before. I was raised Baptist. For the last several years, TM and I have been moving in a more historical and liturgical direction. I’ve noticed the modern evangelical Church has "thrown the baby out with the bath water" in many respects (i.e. if the Catholics do it, it’s wrong). So we have been looking back at ancient creeds and church practices to see if, in fact, it would behoove us to carry on some of these traditions rather than "reinvent the wheel". This idea is also related to a topic for another day: ecumenism. C.S Lewis so cleverly pointed out in The Screwtape Letters that Satan must be very pleased with the weak, splintered state of the Church today. If only we could be strong and united without sacrificing doctrinal purity!

Back to Lent. I did some reading on the subject and was challenged by what I learned. Lent is the 40-day period leading up to Easter. It is a picture of Christ’s 40-day fast as well as an opportunity to focus more intently on Christ’s amazing work on the cross. This is not dead orthodoxy.

TM and I have decided to give up coffee. This may be a little overly ambitious--ever since my first Frappachino 8 years ago, I’ve been hooked. I was happy to learn, however, that I can still have it on Sundays. Sunday is the Lord’s day; it is always a day of feasting. I will also follow the 1928 Anglican Book of Common Prayer for morning and evening scripture readings. I’ll let you know how it goes.