Lent

I went to the first ash wednesday service of my life, I think. Or at least it's the only one I can remember ever going to. We prayed, meditated on scripture readings, got the sign of the cross marked on our foreheads in ashes, then went to a birthday party. The cake was quite good, home made, nothing but cool whip for frosting. Growwing up I wasn't much aware of the liturgical calendar. We just didn't talk about it at my church. We talked about things that were more relevant to our lives... relationships, finances, family... you know, practical stuff.

I remember that lent was the time when you could get two filet-o-fish sandwiches for 99 cents at McDonalds, and that you were supposed to give up stuff. This year at our church, we're talking alot about "economy" and how it influences us, our world, the church, our theology, etc... So they asked us to pledge to give up buying things other than the essentials. I've thought about trying to do that. I haven't quite signed up yet because I'm still weighing the reality to doing it for 40 days. Needless to say my list of essentials gets longer every day. How irrelevant, all that liturgical stuff! Self deprivation, ashes, mortality, suffering... I mean, how does that stuff affect my everyday life.

I read in my devotional book that the season of lent is a season of anticipation and hope. Hope from ashes?