Today is the first day of Lent - a season in the church calendar when believers examine and reorder their lives to prepare for Jesus' resurrection at Easter. It is a time of reflection and self imposed want - in which devoted Christians give up their comfort in exchange for a fuller knowledge of the ultimate reality in Christ.
And for the faithful who observe feast days at the church of the golden arches, it is also the beginning of the Filet O' Fish season when believers prepare for the advent of a non-descript fish breaded in tater tot dust, covered in elastic plastic that doubles for cheese and smeared, ever so lightly, with a viscous mix of mayonaise and sweet relish (aka tarter sauce). Finally, the golden "harvest of the sea" comes to rest on the whitest most sugar-laden bread known to man - a McDonalds hamburger bun. And it awaits the hordes of penitential grease gobblers who have switched from their ordinary Big Mac to the metaphorical "hair-shirt" of the Filet O' Fish. To encourage this serious committment to self-denial, McDonalds in past years has lowered the price of the Filet so that those preferring the more monastic lifestyle can practice both frugality and ascetism as they partake in the loaves and fishes that only their "blessed savior" could provide. For them, this special time of the year can also be best experienced in a combo meal or with a deep fried apple pie.
This year I want more than just another Filet O' Lent. I don't want to exchange one greasy habit for another. I am tired of outward show that really isn't change. I want to see God work and transform my life through denying my appetites that "sow to the flesh" and developing deeper appetites that will provide myself and others with real life. I want what Jesus talks about when he talks about eternal life - "A spring of living water welling up within you." I pray that you might also see God work as you "sow to the Spirit" this Lenten Season.
And for the faithful who observe feast days at the church of the golden arches, it is also the beginning of the Filet O' Fish season when believers prepare for the advent of a non-descript fish breaded in tater tot dust, covered in elastic plastic that doubles for cheese and smeared, ever so lightly, with a viscous mix of mayonaise and sweet relish (aka tarter sauce). Finally, the golden "harvest of the sea" comes to rest on the whitest most sugar-laden bread known to man - a McDonalds hamburger bun. And it awaits the hordes of penitential grease gobblers who have switched from their ordinary Big Mac to the metaphorical "hair-shirt" of the Filet O' Fish. To encourage this serious committment to self-denial, McDonalds in past years has lowered the price of the Filet so that those preferring the more monastic lifestyle can practice both frugality and ascetism as they partake in the loaves and fishes that only their "blessed savior" could provide. For them, this special time of the year can also be best experienced in a combo meal or with a deep fried apple pie.
This year I want more than just another Filet O' Lent. I don't want to exchange one greasy habit for another. I am tired of outward show that really isn't change. I want to see God work and transform my life through denying my appetites that "sow to the flesh" and developing deeper appetites that will provide myself and others with real life. I want what Jesus talks about when he talks about eternal life - "A spring of living water welling up within you." I pray that you might also see God work as you "sow to the Spirit" this Lenten Season.
The cheese looks like a tongue sticking out. "I'm going to clog your arteries. You know it. I know it. Plbbbttt!"
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