Guess What I Gave Up for Lent?

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Tim,
If I'm asked what I gave up for lent, I'll say that I gave up lent for lent...:eek:

I stole that from someone...:)

Sorry, :offtopic:

Jim, is that Solomon Kane as your avatar?

Great tales of adventure!

As Wik says, "Solomon Kane is a fictional character created by the pulp-era writer Robert E. Howard. A 17th century Puritan, Solomon Kane is a somber-looking man who wanders the world with no apparent goal other than to vanquish evil in all its forms."

Classic!

I say no to lent...in dryer and out.


Trevor,
Yes it was Solomon Kane!
Now its Highlanders!
:)
 
I see a big difference between Easter, a true Christian holiday, and Christmas.
So Christians must observe this "holiday"? If it's a "true Christian holiday," then it is incumbent upon every Christian to observe it. If it is not commanded in Scripture, however, then it is not a "true Christian holiday," and is thus prohibited from being foisted upon a Christian's conscience (for example, observation of "Easter" at Church), Confessionally speaking.

A reasonable response, Josh. Let me clarify my own clumsy construction. What I meant was that we, as Christians, celebrate the resurrection, therefore Easter (or Resurrection Sunday as many of us call it) is a great day for the church. Are there special forms for that day? No. We do know that the early Christians began celebrating on the Lord's Day because of the resurrection.

So am I making it a holiday? No. I do believe that it is more important to the Christian than is Christmas, however.
 
I would say that if you are presenting ANY Lord's Day as being in any way more exalted than any other, then you had best drop the whole endeavor of Easter, Christmas, etc.

I always make the point of saying on Easter, Pentecost, etc. that what we are doing in worship is paying attention to this aspect of our faith, not making it a special "holy day", which it isn't.
 
I grew up Roman Catholic and a vivid memory from childhood in 1977 was opening up my lunch box on a Friday and discovering that my mom had given me a bologna and cheese sandwhich. I ate it anyway and it tasted like sawdust in my mouth out of guilt. My mom later apologized but it is a nice reminder to me at how blessed I am to have been delivered from Romish idolatry.
 
I remember reading many years ago that the Puritans recommended viewing each Lord's Day as a celebration of the incarnation and resurrection of Christ -- that has always made a lot of sense to me.

If a church wants to follow a liturgical calendar to organize its teaching on a wide variety of subjects, we would be hard pressed to say it is wrong. Just as it would be wrong for anyone to say that a church is bound to follow such a calendar.

I do have some trouble with the whole idea of Lent as a way of showing "extra" penitence. The penalty has been paid, once and for all. Praise God!
 
My wife and I are abstaining from meat.

I don't think fasting is idolatry, or that penitence = paying a penalty.
 
I was looking forward to answering in this thread, and disappointingly found that the OP was exactly my thought.

I remember only a few years ago when I knew that Advent was done by RCs, but had never seen or heard of it done by Protestants.

So, someone who knew I was a believer asked me how my church was celebrating Advent, and I said, "Oh, we don't do that."

"Why Not?"

"I'm not Catholic."

The look on her face was priceless. I thought it was a straightforward statement, with my answer the same as if someone asked why I didn't celebrate Ramadan.

Now, I give the same answer for lent and advent, although intentionally and not in ignorance.

I use a slight twist on the OP, when someone asks about lent..."I gave up Catholicism."
 
I am liking this post.

I dont know if it is the non conformist in me or what, but I have the same issue with Christmas and Easter.

Some non Christian polish people asked me if I celebrated easter. I said to them 'Every day!' I mean that. There is not a day when the incarnation, death and ressurection of Christ does not have meaning for my life.

I dont need an annual ceremony to remember his incarnation or his death or his ressurection. I am who I am today because of these things! 'I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see'.

Infact, I think these annual ceremonies rob the church of their true significance. That is 'if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation' every single day!

Ok rant over... for now.

:flamingscot:
 
So Christians must observe this "holiday"? If it's a "true Christian holiday," then it is incumbent upon every Christian to observe it. If it is not commanded in Scripture, however, then it is not a "true Christian holiday," and is thus prohibited from being foisted upon a Christian's conscience (for example, observation of "Easter" at Church), Confessionally speaking.

A reasonable response, Josh. Let me clarify my own clumsy construction. What I meant was that we, as Christians, celebrate the resurrection, therefore Easter (or Resurrection Sunday as many of us call it) is a great day for the church. Are there special forms for that day? No. We do know that the early Christians began celebrating on the Lord's Day because of the resurrection.

So am I making it a holiday? No. I do believe that it is more important to the Christian than is Christmas, however.
But we celebrate it corporately every week. The Sabbath. The 4th Commandment. So there's no once a year Lord's Day that's to be exalted above another.

:2cents:
Whatever does not come from faith is sin. With all respect you answered your own question, you by your confession are bound NOT to observe, I do not recognize RPG I follow Normative Principals, further I am Creedal not Confessional, hence I am not bound by this.:2cents:
 
I am liking this post. ... Some non Christian polish people asked me if I celebrated easter. I said to them 'Every day!' I mean that. There is not a day when the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ does not have meaning for my life.

I think I am liking that answer. Amen, brother, amen. But I am also thinking, in fairness, that our non-RPW friends would say the same thing.
 
I am liking this post.

I dont know if it is the non conformist in me or what, but I have the same issue with Christmas and Easter.

Some non Christian polish people asked me if I celebrated easter. I said to them 'Every day!' I mean that. There is not a day when the incarnation, death and ressurection of Christ does not have meaning for my life.

I dont need an annual ceremony to remember his incarnation or his death or his ressurection. I am who I am today because of these things! 'I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see'.

Infact, I think these annual ceremonies rob the church of their true significance. That is 'if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation' every single day!

Ok rant over... for now.

:flamingscot:

Thank you for bringing up the non-conformists. Many of them were martyred for not conforming to Romish holydays or practices. Why??? Why would someone rather die than do these things that people now so glibly do and think nothing of it? Because we are God's people and we are to do what HE says and not to add to it or take away from it. (RPW) Deut. 4:1-2

1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.

2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.


3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

4 But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.

5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
 
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