Lent

[Iryssa]

You know darn well.

No, actually I don't. Are we talking about the wafer god, which is re-sacrificed every Sunday; or are we talking about the God of the Bible?

The God of the Bible, Jude. Grow up.

[Iryssa]

show alittle Grace?

I think that is what this whole thing is about

Grace !!!!

Free gift and the price paid for our sins on the Cross

I don't need to keep paying the price for my sins be it for lent or any other time

I don't need lent to draw me closer to the Lord

and I don't need a tradition to know what the Lord did for me

If some of you think that I did not show Grace in my response please remember this

I was brought up catholic and still have nightmares so I may be a bit harsh on tradition verses doctrine

Sorry

In Christ

IreneM

No one's saying Lent or anything else like that takes the place of Grace. If someone is, show me, because I'd like to have a talking to them. If I did, I'd really like you to point that out to me, because I honestly can't think of any time when I would have said that.

Yes, Salvation is a free gift of God.

Yes, you don't NEED lent to bring you closer to God.

HOWEVER

IF it does happen to be a good spiritual discipline (which I feel fasting is, whether you do it at Lent or on last Tuesday, or on Spetember 14th, or whenever the heck you want to do it), then WHY IS IT A BAD THING??? WHAT EXACTLY IS THE PROBLEM WITH IT??

[EricH]

Before we get on a high horse about insisting that everything we do, have direct biblical support, we had better do some serious self examination. There are many things people of all denominations do out of devotion to God that are not directly prescribed by scripture.

In areas where things are neither prohibited by or commanded by scripture, we need to demonstrate a little grace with one another. If scripture does not command it, or forbid it, the question the practitioner needs to wrestle with is why they are doing it. Is the reason they are doing it scriptural? If one is doing Lent because they believe that by doing it they either add to, or secure their salvation, then there may be an issue. But if the person is doing it as a Spiritual discipline, that is fine.

There is nothing about pot-lucks, missions conferences, youth groups etc in the Bible. But we still have them.

[EricH]

EricH

There is nothing about pot-lucks, missions conferences, youth groups etc in the Bible. But we still have them.

But isn

[CaritateDei]

A brief History lesson, if I may...

No disciple ever practiced lent.

However, before most of the world knew of the Gospels (2nd and 3rd centuries AD) before the canon of the Bible was official, Easter Sunday was always celebrated by Christianity.

Easter Sunday was the day of remembrance of our Lord's Resurrection. Being that this was the day when the whole world was to recognize Christ's new life, Christianity set aside the Eve of Easter (Easter Vigil) as the day when "NEW LIFE" was to come to other people wanting to sign up and be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The word, Lent, which you so vehemently make fun of, and I respect that, is actually a word that means, "Springtime."

Obviousness would tell you that the Springtime is a time when that which had died in the winter comes back to new life.

Well, those that were dead, who had not known Christ, who had not been redeemed and cleansed of sin by Baptism, were invited to come to NEW LIFE by their baptism held on the celebration of the Easter Vigil.

Of course, those wanting Baptism needed a brief period of time to get to know Christ and get to know Christianity, so they understood the wonderful concepts of Faith, Hope, and Charity all given us by the grace of God. Because of this, they were given a week to a week and a half to prepare for their baptism and have some already baptized Christians guide them through the life-enriching decision.

This was during the Spring. So, they decided to call this the Springtime for those who were dead, so that they may be ready for new life in baptism. They called this brief period, which included fasting--LENT.

Eventually, lent became a process by which Christians who had fallen away, either by murder, adultery, or heresy and apostacy, could have a chance to return to Christ and seek forgiveness for their grave sins. This way, those that had known Christ could come back and know him once again because they had fallen to serious temptation by satan (as all of us sinners do every day.)

By the Fourth Century, (again, before the canon of the Bible was officially accepted by any council) Christians all over the world celebrated lent. It was a period by which all men, women, and children could acknowledge that they were sinners and they too, could celebrate the new life through fasting, abstaining from meat most especially on the day that the lamb of God laid down his life, and almsgiving. The period, however, was lengthened to 40 days, representing the 40 days Christ himself fasted in the desert, preparing for both his DEATH and more importantly, his Resurrection. The 40 days excluded Sundays.

Sunday was meant as a day of celebration, and it still is. This is why in most Christian traditions, funerals are not to be held on Sundays because it is supposed to be a day of celebration. Since every Sunday is the holy Sabbath, the day in which God rested, it is also a celebration of the day in which God Resurrected. On this day, you do not celebrate our sin and sinfulness by fasting. You celebrate new life by doing just that CELEBRATING.

So to answer your question, you are correct...no one in the Bible celebrated lent. Why? Because you can't celebrate something before it happens. I can't celebrate my future anniversary if I have not been married yet. I can't celebrate the death of Christ if the year is 0 AD. Of course they did not celebrate lent. We had not been redeemed by Christ.

A little history lesson for all.

[Iryssa]

EricH

There is nothing about pot-lucks, missions conferences, youth groups etc in the Bible. But we still have them.

But isn

[Iryssa]

EricH

There is nothing about pot-lucks, missions conferences, youth groups etc in the Bible. But we still have them.

But isn

[Arthur Durnan]

Just refrain from "lenting" your umbrella to someone. Buy them one instead. Long live the vagaries of man, yes?

http://arthurdurnan.freeyellow.com

[Iryssa]

EricH

There is nothing about pot-lucks, missions conferences, youth groups etc in the Bible. But we still have them.

But isn

[Iryssa]

Just refrain from "lenting" your umbrella to someone. Buy them one instead. Long live the vagaries of man, yes?

http://arthurdurnan.freeyellow.com

Ha ha.