Here Comes Lent - Part One -

Having grown up Episcopalian the Lenten season was a quite a deal in our house. My earliest memories were of deciding what I would give up all week long. I learned quickly that Sunday, being a day of celebration, was a free day that superseded all fasts. The usual ‘give up’ in our house was sweets. We each had a tin cookie container that we would stash our treats in all week long. A lollipop here, a cupcake there, and a piece of gum or two added up to a little gold mine by Sunday afternoon. After church and dinner it was a rush to the couch with the long awaited for treasures.

As I got older and worked in my Dad’s fast food place French fries were my ‘drug’ of choice. In solidarity with my Catholic, Episcopalian, and other like-minded colleagues we stood strong against the ever leering potato as we scrubbed, peeled, rinsed, and blanched. It was six long weeks of temptation but we emerged, for the most part, victorious. By this time I had grown out of my childhood understanding of ’giving up’ and realized that what mattered was the discipline and prayer that came from the observance.

When I first came to the Army self denial was mostly the Sunday School penny march. Somewhere along the line the name was changed to World Services. I suppose that made sense since that was what the money supported but I think we lost something as well in that change. Personally I continued to observe Lent as I had since my childhood.

My first appointment from training was June to January so they escaped my Lenten practices but when I arrived in Lake Worth the tide began to turn. The first year snuck up on me a little too quickly after arrival but by year two a plan had hatched in my brain. And so began our communal journey of the rediscovery of self denial.

Lake Worth is a typical small corps with a nucleus of regular supporters and semi-regular attendees. That nucleus group rocked. Though their depth and width of their spiritual journeys were varied they were pretty much united in most schemes I tossed their way. For that I will be forever thankful. During a Wednesday evening prayer time I proposed we consider observing Lent in a traditional sense. They were willing to listen. I explained my plan.

SA HAITI
Part one, we would fast from midnight on Tuesday until we met to pray on Wednesday evening. After we prayed we would share a meal together to break the fast.

Part two, each person would determine the amount of money they had saved on food that day for their offering.

Part three, the money would be used to support a student at the Army school in Fond des Negres, Haiti where a day without food was a lifestyle instead of a choice.



Deb Taube
Former
USA South