This Side of the Pulpit » Entries tagged with "fasting"
Fasting Fast Approaching
I haven’t been good about fasting for the past….well, let’s just say a while. But with Lent approaching fast, the fast is fast approaching. Here is a link to a document I prepared for my congregation. It includes Scripture and the Confessions on the value and command to fast, articles from the Lutheran Witness and the LCMS website, as well as (simplified) guidelines for how and when to fast as we do in the western tradition. The … Read entire article »
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What to Expect this Lenten Season
I hate to put it like this, but it is almost a rule that when we “make progress” in our Christian life, we will be tempted. Well, I mean we are tempted at every moment, but it gets stronger and less subtle when we are disciplining ourselves. Ok, so what do I mean? Well, if you are fasting, be prepared for temptation. Not just for eating more food, or eating the food you are abstaining from. I mean you will be tempted with things you have long set aside. That itch for nicotine you hadn’t had for years? There it is again. That feeling of sowing your wild oats, like you did before you were married? Yep, that old “friend” may come back. Sometimes literally. Even if you are not participating in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
Happy Fat Tuesday
In Fat Tuesday News: 1. It’s a miserable day here in OK. Cloudy, cold, rainy. Makes thinking of Lent easy, though. 2. The Fast. Everyone thinks about it, not many of us do anything. What will I do? Give up giving up. That’s a biggie. Give up on sin and judging others. Oh, and the Western Fasting tradition: 1/4 meals for Breakfast and Lunch, one full supper. No wine or liquor. No meat on Wednesdays and Fridays. Frankly, I do not make it more complicated than that. I don’t mess with the “Ember Days” if you know what those are. It’s hard enough to fast. 3. Don’t talk about fasting. Yes, I see the irony. But I’m the pastor and it is my job to lead, and lead by example as often as … Read entire article »
Practice and Training
You’ll probably laugh…or scoff. If you’ve been following along you will know that I’ve been teaching myself Photoshop and HTML and CSS coding. That has been going well, for the most part. You may also remember that I’ve been writing too. Several articles published a year so far, and a lot of fiction–two completed novels and a third in progress, all of that unpublished…so far. We can blame it on Photoshop, perhaps, but I’ve also started drawing more again. A couple of years ago Marjorie bought me some pencils and a sketchbook, and since then I’ve gotten some prismacolors and oil pastels. I started a portrait of Marjorie the other night and was…displeased. No big deal. So last night I found a nice photo of Olivia and made it black and white … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
This is the Day
Here it is Holy Tuesday and what have we got? Me? Not much. This Lenten season was not so Great or Holy or marked by that much different for me. My fast has been puny and easily neglected. Having a lackluster Lent is not a bad thing, though, as long as we learn from it. We learn just how weak we are. Let’s face it: cutting down on food is pretty easy, all things considered. If we cannot do that, consider how hard it is to cut out the things that are in most important and dreadful, like judging and lust and coveting and sloth? It is the same with our positive Lenten devotions like increasing prayer and giving. So easy to say, so hard to do. “The spirit is willing, but … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
New and Shiny Things
I re-arranged my study yesterday. Nothing big–just replaced the folding table I had the laptop on with a small computer desk I found stored away somewhere. That allowed me to move my work desk back a bit and open up some more floor space. I also got out the Old English and cleaned the top of my oak work desk. It really needs refinishing, but I have too many other projects going on right now. It’s funny how just moving a little furniture can affect your perspective. I mean, there’s the literal change in perspective that happens, but the psychological perspective shifts too. It forces you to see your workspace, study, home, even life in a different way. Like looking through a mirror. Try this to see what I mean: open … Read entire article »
Pre-Lent Has Begun
We’ve entered the season of Pre-Lent, for those of you who don’t follow Vatican II. In other words, Lent begins in sixteen days and now is the time to begin preparing for that. Preparing to prepare for Easter, if you want to think of it that way. So how do you prepare for Lent? First, remember that repentance, prayer, fasting and charity are not optional for Christians. We do not earn favor with God for doing these things, but our Lord says that these are what his disciples do. Even though we should be doing these things all the time, in Lent we ramp them up or do these things more intentionally. Second, get ready now. Pray and consider how you are going to incorporate more fasting and prayer into your day. Take … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
Awake, O Sleeper. Or, Doing the Stuff We Need to Do
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net I was looking through some old memos on the Centro and found a record of exercises recording in October. What I lifted, how much, how many reps and so forth. I was depressed. It was about the same, maybe even a little more than I did last week. A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with high cholesterol during a routine check-up. Since then I’ve been exercising at the Y a couple of times a week…for a while, then life or illness or Summertime gets in the way and I stop. Since October I took a few weeks off during Advent/Christmas. Then another three weeks off when I got costochronditis (inflammation of the cartilage in the sternum). Sometimes I just don’t feel like going. When the kids don’t have … Read entire article »
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The Devil’s Billable Hours
“In Lent, the Devil works overtime.” Non-liturgical people would want to say, “No, no! The devil always works overtime!” He does work to destroy our faith and souls. He constantly seeks chinks in our armor where his fiery darts may land. He constantly probes for weaknesses, old standards and new ones alike. But Lent is different. At least for those who keep it. And that is the key. When you make commitments to pray, fast, and give more, the devil delights in attack. For fasting, prayer and giving alms are acts of charity, they are deeds pleasing to God. They are deeds of your sanctification–and this the devil cannot abide. If you want more “proof” just reread Matthew 4. Christ in the desert, and we following Him. The devil will be there as … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
Bullet Points Are All I Have Right Now
I haven’t really decided to abstain from blogging during Lent; it only appears that way due to overall busyness, distraction, writer’s block and the other usual suspects. Some tidbits: The LCMS has dropped opposition in the “Issues Etc.” trademark issue. It was the right thing to do, since they had allowed the trademark to expire. The Oklahoma District of the LCMS will most likely have an entirely new Board of Directors and District staff after our Convention in April. Most of this is due to retirements and incumbents declining nominations. The Twilight Saga has gotten better over time–I’m reading the final book now and it is a page-turner, though a little too predictable at times. I can see the author’s conservative morality poking through on occasion (she’s Mormon), but in no way could this … Read entire article »
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- Emily H. on Fasting Fast Approaching
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"See. You're not impressed. :) Seriously I sympathize with what you are writin…" - Chris Jones on A Rant which May not Impress You, if Read Correctly
"This is a modern problem, which is to say that from a Christian perspective it i…" - Christopher Hall on Law/Gospel Outlines?
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