Lent lasts about forty days. As I understand it, the 40 day length is in commemoration of Christ's preparation for his ministry--the temptation in the desert. As such, the tradition is that those who observe it are to give up something in a similar manner as Christ. Some give up shopping, or drinking, or smoking, or wearing certain clothes. One year a girl I knew gave up meat. This year I am endeavoring to give up solid food.
Giving up solid food for 46 days (Lent lasts 46 days this year) is no mean feat. I've never given up solid food for that length of time. I have given it up for about three weeks. That was after I had my gastric bypass surgery. Indeed, it is because of my surgery that I'm giving up solid food. I've gained some weight back because I started eating badly again and stopped exercising. So my decision isn't completely altruistic or religious. It is partially that, but in large part pragmatic. I simply have got to start losing the weight again. I just wish I could lose the appetite and the desire for food. As often happens, I make a resolution, and something immediately comes to test it. That happened this afternoon at work. One of our groups had lunch leftovers: lasagna and bread from a restaurant I love. As hard as it was, I abstained. But I thought of it all the way to church.
This was the first time I've made it to church on a Wednesday night in several years, maybe even as much as twenty years. It was my first Ash Wednesday service ever. TCC wasn't offering a service per se. The sanctuary was open for prayer and meditation. The youth, on the other hand, had their own Ash Wednesday service. Yizong burned up some grass and mixed it with oil for the forehead marking. There was a lot of modern praise and worship music. Shelby, our resident high school senior, gave some testimony about her past. The rest of the group took it respectfully and well, and I am glad. I thought it would not be well received. I declined to be marked when that part of the service was performed. (I believe it to go against the principle set forth in Matthew 6:16-17.)
After the service there was some general fellowship for the youth. I say fellowship, but in the context of this youth group, it means hanging out. There were some announcements and plans that were attempted to be made, but the kids at this point, weren't listening and didn't care about anything other than hanging out. Several people got pretty frustrated at that behavior. Loryn, one of the youth, had an activity planned, but it was abortive getting it started, and nobody really listened to her once it was started. Poor Yizong got frustrated enough to yell at them a little. There was a little shock, but I think it was good for them.
For once in several months, I was home before ten at night. Day 1 of 46 down, 45 more to go.
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