Growing up Pentecostal, I was very much in the dark about liturgy. Although, as Kristy often points out to me, we celebrated Advent and Lent in my family because we have Catholic background. But I don't remember every knowing what Lent really was until I started working for Lynn.
As an American Baptist, I didn't expect a particular effulgence of liturgy when I went to work at FBC. But Lynn was very interested in the liturgy of the church. We always celebrated Lent and Advent in particular style.
And yet there's a lot about Lent that I've never really celebrated. Read: Self-Denial. That's not something that most of us excel at, in general. We did the studying, the focus on prayer, penitence, and giving. But never really talked about the self-denial. So I'm going to try something new this year.
I'm going to give up something for Lent. And not something easy, like soda (which I don't really drink anyway). Or chocolate (which I can live without). I'm giving up sugar. So I guess I am giving up soda and chocolate, in a way. But I had to take a look at the thing in my life that was taking my focus away from God. I am very much in love with sugar. I am even addicted to sugar. And I am powerless against it. So I will need God's help, bigtime, to get through this Lenten season. But I want to try it. I want to deny myself the thing that I crave the most right now. So we'll see how it goes.
I'm sure I'll keep you updated. In all seriousness, I really do think that I am addicted to sugar. So I know this is not going to be easy. But I still want to do it. I think if I can just do it for 40-ish days, it will help me to get a better handle on it.
My name is Becca, and I am an addict.
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10 comments:
That's awesome, Becca! I bet it will make Resurrection Sunday feel even sweeter (spiritually AND physically.
Thanks, Jeana!! I'll bet you're right.
What does giving up sugar mean? All fruit has some sugar in it. As do most cereals. Do you mean refined sugars, or does this mean honey as well?
Would love to hear more. Let me know!
I would say refined sugars, because that's what I crave when I don't have it. I haven't decided about honey yet. I think I'm going to try to avoid honey as well, if I can. But it's not the natural sugars I'm worried about. Plus, it's mostly about the ways that sugar is used.
But fruit is a good substitute for me, because I get the sweet taste, but I can be eating healthy as well.
I decided to pick sugar because I went to an addiction service last week (and am going again this week... I'm sure I'll blog about it at some point). They talked about our addictions being the things that we crave instead of craving the love of God. Sort of the "worshipping idols" sermon that most of us have heard before. Anyway, he talked about the feeling of addiction being the thing you think you need that you don't really need (physiologically, you might believe you need it, but if you don't get it, you go through withdrawals, etc). So since I needed to give something up for Lent, I picked sugar, because that's what I crave.
I hope to blog about it as it's going along. It's been hard, so far, and it's only been a day! :-)
You should team up with me on my Lenten blog: straightfromthedryer.blogspot.com
Team up, like, follow?
I see what you mean.
What kinds of things are you looking for on the blog? Like, if I post, what should I post about?
I suppose a few things:
1. your thoughts and feelings about your personal lenten journey
2. you goals during lent
3. progress or struggles in your lenten experience
4. lessons you learn during lent
5. quotes that are helpful or inspirational during the season or lent or in general
6. Online Lenten resources that you discover.
That makes sense to me. Thanks for the invite. I'm excited to read what else is on there.
Hi Becc- this is a tough one, I've done it before and find it to be very good and helpful - tho not always fun!
Thinking of you.
Check your email- I sent you some info about christus. :)
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