This week we taught our kids about lent. So now that lent has begun, we wanted to make sure that we kept the long 40 days in front of us.
With that in mind I made some sweet signs to hang up around the house. That way, if we see someone cheating we can kindly remind them of their commitment to fast from the thing we have chosen as we prepare, as a family, for Easter.
If you’d like to download your own sign, I’ve added both a generic pdf and the original Photoshop files to my free downloads page. (Click the image below)
[download id=”14″]
For the record, here is what our family is giving up:
Our kids aren’t game for anything. I get jealous when I go to my friends house and their kids would walk across the desert for a glass of water just because mom or dad said it’d be fun and meaningful. My kids are the exact opposite. I pitch going to Sea World on a Saturday and they glibly respond, “OK. I guess. There isn’t any good TV on today anyway.”
Knowing that– we still had this crazy idea of bringing our kids into our observance of lent.
Here’s how I did it.
Jelly beans. Yup, jelly beans.
On Sunday, I made a secret trip to Rite Aid and came back with a big 2 pound bag of fresh, delicious Brach’s jelly beans.
Then I waited for them to be in a good mood. A good & hungry mood, that is. After school on Monday was perfect. Both of them were chipper when I picked them up from school (rarity) and yesterday’s lunch at school must have been especially nasty because they were starving for snack.
On the way home I got them thinking. “Hey, have you ever heard of lent? Not lint like on your clothes… lent, the 40 days before Easter.”
That got them thinking a little and asking questions about lent. By the time we pulled into the driveway they were curious and I had dropped hints that mom and dad wanted to talk about a lent challenge and that it had a reward on Easter Sunday.
Mom had hot buttery popcorn waiting for them. They grabbed a handful and started to munch. I interrupted them, “Hey, why don’t you guys go to the bathroom and stuff and come back. We’ll have a snack and talk about lent.”
My jaw dropped. They were into it!
They came back into the kitchen and sat around our little island. That’s when I brought out the jelly beans. Their eyes got huge! They didn’t see that coming.
Hook, line, and sinker… let’s reel them in.
After that we talked about what lent is, why people observe it, why its important to sacrifice something important to us in preparation for Easter, etc.
The whole time we’re chatting they are munching on popcorn & jelly beans. The treats were the oil that is lubricating this conversation! This was reinforcing the kinesthetic learning in lent while talking about why lent was a connection between our 40 days of sacrifice and Jesus’ 40 days in the desert.
“Mom and dad are each going to give up something important to them for lent. We’d really like you guys to think about giving up something important, too. It’ll be a great way for you to prepare your heart for Easter.” Then we talked about silly things to give up, like foods we don’t like or impossible things to give up like peeing or breathing. And we asked them if they thought other kids at school were going to give something up for lent. They didn’t know… so we asked them to ask around, because a lot of kids give up things for lent.
We ended our talk with a simple challenge. “Let’s talk tomorrow about what you want to give up. We aren’t going to tell you what you should or shouldn’t give up. So think hard about it. Each of us will give up something different. And the only one who is really going to know if you’ve cheated is you. (And God) Lent starts on Wednesday.”
I know this is a simple thing. 5 minutes. But for us, not having a lot of success at introducing Jesus into our family beyond praying for meals occasionally and going to church, this was a big success. Totally worth celebrating! And totally building our confidence.
Parenting + spiritual formation? Yes, we can do this!
The first week was great. I felt fantastic. It was a time to slow down and walk with God through Scripture and stuff. Plus, I didn’t feel like ending the fast after 24 hours so I kept it going until late afternoon. It was awesome!
Week two was almost the opposite. I never felt good. My mind was very cloudy all day. The day felt like it spun out of control. And I was hungry all day long. I’m not a “fasting expert,” but I’ve done plenty of one-day fasts and yesterday was my most bizarre. Yesterday was pure discipline. No joy in it at all.
Two weeks and two different experiences. I suppose that is to be expected. Thinking of Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the desert… I’m sure there were days that were good and bad as well.
A former student of mine posed a question on the Fast Tuesday groups discussion board that I thought was pretty interesting. I think there are differing opinions about Jesus’ instructions. She said, “Aren’t you supposed to fast in private?”
Today is Mardis Gras. Good old Fat Tuesday. It’s an annual tradition where people feast before Lent begins on Wednesday morning. Well, very few people I know feast before Lent begins. But most of us are aware of Mardis Gras in New Orleans or Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
I’m one of those people who looks at traditions and likes to find the Jesus element and wonder how I can make that tradition relevant to my walk. (Running around drunk and throwing beads at women just seems irrelevant to my walk with the Lord, you know? Plus, I think the whole thing is just gross.) The past few year’s I’ve chosen one day, Tuesday, during Lent each week to observe a fast. I don’t say that to make myself seem more spiritually cool than anyone else, it’s just something I’ve been doing. A tiny sacrifice to remember and prepare myself for Holy Week and Easter.
Since I’m into puns… I always referred to it as Fast Tuesday. (Get it? Mardis Gras is Fat Tuesday. Fast Tuesday? Yeah, I’m corny.)
Last year I started wondering… How could I invite other people into this same observance without making it a big show of “Look what we’re doing!” In fact, Jesus said in Matthew 6, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Long story short, this is my invitation. If you’re interested in fasting alongside me Tuesday’s during Lent…
1. Chose your fast. I’ll be doing a water and juice fast. That means I won’t eat any food at all, but I will drink water and some juices. I’ll be posting some resources for those who want to do their own research. Trust me, you won’t die.
2. Join the group. Rather than talk a lot about the fast here on my blog [which makes me feel like I’m violating that Matthew 6 teaching] I’ve created a Facebook group for those who are looking for resources, talking about fasting experiences, etc.
3. Participate in the group. I recognize that most of my friends don’t come from a fasting tradition. Evangelicals, by and large, only scratch the surface at any spiritual discipline. So I would encourage those participating to not just join the group, but participate.
4. Invite others to join. Feel free to include whomever you’d like in Fast Tuesday. If you don’t know how to do that, just forward this link to a friend and tell them you’re participating in this and would like them to consider it as well.
5. Observe the fast. Fast Tuesday begins March 2nd.
That’s it. No strings attached. No fundraiser. No hidden cult agenda. (Though I could use the money!) Nothing other than what’s posted here. I’m very excited about the fast beginning next Tuesday. Experiencing something physical during Lent has opened up a whole world of meaning for Lent that I had always missed. I’m hoping you’ll consider it and join in as well.
Today is Mardis Gras. Good old Fat Tuesday. It’s an annual tradition where people feast before Lent begins on Wednesday morning. Well, very few people I know feast before Lent begins. But most of us are aware of Mardis Gras in New Orleans or Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.