Skip to main content

Fat Tuesday????

Today is known as "Fat Tuesday"...the day before the official beginning of the forty days of Lent.  This is how one writer described it:

"Fat Tuesday is also known as Mardi Gras Day or Shrove Day. 
It is a day when people eat all they want of everything and anything they want as the following day is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of a traditional fasting period for Christians. 
In addition to fasting, Christians also give up something special that they enjoy. So, Fat Tuesday is a celebration and the opportunity to enjoy that favorite food or snack that you give up for the long Lenten season."

It's interesting how some people approach the beginning of a longer reflection on Jesus' death, his sacrifice, as a party time... 

Hmmm,  Fasting?  Giving Up. 

Sure, I know many Christians who approach the Lenten season as a season for fasting and giving up something they value.  I've heard of giving up coffee, sugar, chocolate, sweets, alcohol, etc... 

 Nothing wrong with committing ourselves to withdraw from something for the sake of focusing our time and attention on God's word; but the notion that we somehow are "doing" something can easily lead to a merit based approach - sort of a performance based approach - to knowing God.

What is it they are missing?  We don't gain any standing before God because we "give up" something.  Our works are not the focus for Lent...the focus is solely, completely on what God has done in his Son's work for us.

Here's Paul's version of why Christ should be the object of whatever we decide to do for Lent.

Philippians 2:1-11 
1  So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
2  complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
3  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
4  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
10  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  

I am looking forward to taking some time to think, read scripture, meditate, pray my way through the Lenten season.

Why?

Not because it will bring merit before God, or to get God's favor by being "spiritual"...No, simply because my Savior has done so much for me...and I just want to think about it again.

I've shared this before, so please forgive the repeat, but I've just finished and published an e-book entitled "A Lenten Sojourn".  It's available at Amazon and can be downloaded as a companion for reading scripture during Lent.

Follow this link if you're interested:  http://www.amazon.com/Lenten-Sojourn-Elliott-Pollasch-ebook/dp/B00TMICMZC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424186218&sr=8-1&keywords=a+lenten+sojourn

Whatever you choose to do - make it for the glory of God and not aggrandizement of self.


Peace

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Loving Well

As Jesus came to  his last hours on the earth, he spent them with his disciples - a show of his dedication to their special relationship with him.  If it were me and I knew this was my last night, I might want to take time to talk about what's important, and what they must remember....and perhaps it would be about doctrine, or beliefs, faith, etc.  Jesus goes a different direction: John 13:1-17 (NIV) 1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Betrayed by Failed Expectations

No one names their children Judas.  No other name is more recognized as anathema than his name.    It's hard to sort out what to do with Judas.  He walked with Jesus, learned from him, saw the miracles, knew what Jesus was up to early on.  Yet when it came down to it he betrayed Jesus. What's perhaps more amazing is that it doesn't surprise Jesus at all. John 13:18-32 (NIV) 18 "I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.' 19 "I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me." 21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me." 22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Joy to the World - Help is On the Way

It’s the first day of Advent– while you prepare for Worship this morning at church take a minute to ask God to direct you through this season that you might be prepared to “receive your King”. In the first week of Advent we celebrate the PROMISE of His Coming. His promise is based on our need. We were made in his image, but there is emptiness in our soul that is the result of the Fallen nature of sin. But why did Jesus come? What in his coming announces God's heart? His desire for us to know and experience? 10 BUT THE ANGEL SAID TO THEM, "DO NOT BE AFRAID; FOR BEHOLD, I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY WHICH WILL BE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE; 11 FOR TODAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID THERE HAS BEEN BORN FOR YOU A SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD. GREAT JOY! Did you know that God is Joyful? 1 CHRONICLES 16:23-27 (NASB) 23 SING TO THE LORD, ALL THE EARTH; PROCLAIM GOOD TIDINGS OF HIS SALVATION FROM DAY TO DAY. 24 TELL OF HIS GLORY AMONG THE NATIONS, HIS WONDERFUL DEEDS AMONG ALL THE PEOPLES....
46 comments
Read more