tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241505550351823820.post5591360692359950188..comments2024-02-11T06:57:23.174-05:00Comments on SchansBlog: how and why Lent...Eric Schansberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16147388189415035752noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241505550351823820.post-2075267280806062942010-02-16T14:13:36.868-05:002010-02-16T14:13:36.868-05:00That is a good comment, William.
I must confess ...That is a good comment, William. <br /><br />I must confess I have spent the last 14 years boycotting Lent, mostly because I spent the 23 years prior to that doing acts of Penance like sleeping on the floor, various fasts, etc. as Lenten observance. <br /><br />Recently, I have been seeing church history in somewhat of a different light and have been considering Lent differently as well, more as I think the article describes. <br /><br />Anyway, this year I am going to give up what has become one of my favorite indulgences: Coffee!<br />I shared this with my kids and they say they are going to give up one of their favorites: Candy! We'll see how that works out :-)<br /><br />In any case, while I still consider myself an "Evangelical", I too, am looking forward to a meaningful time of focus on Christ (I'm only slightly concerned about the caffeine withdrawal :))PianoMomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17804155175032930842noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8241505550351823820.post-43634947109065016122010-02-15T22:57:50.217-05:002010-02-15T22:57:50.217-05:00If you're in an Evangelical church, you might ...If you're in an Evangelical church, you might not realize how much you are missing in traditions and history. I remember wondering, in my early teens in an Evangelical church, why we never heard about most of the history of the church—from the second century to the fifteenth century. I eventually learned it was because Evangelicals believe that after the apostolic era, the Church became corrupt until the Reformation. Of course, in the Catholic Church, the history is unbroken; you hear about many a saint in that long period of history, including reformers such as St. Francis of Assisi. The Episcopal Church also remembers this history, and it keeps many of the ancient traditions, including Lent. Thus I am looking forward to the Ash Wednesday service at my church this week, the beginning of Lent. (And Shrove Tuesday tomorrow, which is the Anglican version of Mardi Gras; our pre-Lenten party by tradition features a sugary pancake dinner.)<br /><br />One interesting difference between Evangelicals and Episcopalians as well as Catholics is the Lectionary. Services throughout the church year use the exact same scriptural readings, which are read aloud in the service by lectors (lay readers) or the priest (there are some differences in these between Catholics and Episcopalians). For example, yesterday was Transfiguration Sunday, the last Sunday of Epiphany (the season between Christmas and Lent); all Episcopal churches read Exodus 34:29-35, Psalm 99, 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2, and Luke 9:28-36. By custom, sermons are based on one or more of these.William Langhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04308959355199753193noreply@blogger.com