Comments on: Ash Wednesday, moosh style.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:49:09 +0000

I don’t mean to stray from main topic but I just wanted to say that Caffeine Free Mountain Dew is so good. You can buy it in Indy.. not just Canada!

By: Kerri Anne

Kerri Anne — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:57:13 +0000

Here’s my very own smudge, circa 2007: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kladish/399294893/

(Hi, you are probably the least offensive person ever.)

Kerri Annes last blog post..Five, Seven, Five

By: Hippo Brigade

Hippo Brigade — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 05:07:31 +0000

you have a friend named Polka Dots? That's crazy, Almost as crazy as caffein free mountain dew. Hippo Brigades last blog post..All Dressed Up With No Where to Go

By: BethanyWD

BethanyWD — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 05:01:03 +0000

Lifeling Lutheran here; the daughter and granddaughter of Lutheran pastors, too!

There are 40 days in Lent (to emulate Jesus’ 40 days in the desert – 40 in a re-occurring number in the Christian faith), but days like Sundays (considered “mini-Easters”) and Good Friday, etc. don’t count towards the total.

Lent is a season of prayer and fasting. In modern day, the fasting usually involves giving up a particular food or drink (like chocolate or caffeine, etc.). Additionally, some actually fast a day or so a week – or fast as a family on a certain day each week (they would do simple broth soup or PB sandwiches instead) and donate the $$$ not used to produce the meal to a charity. I think the most important part is not the actual fasting part – but the reflection and discussion of justice and faith that evolves within a family as a result of action of fasting. While some Catholics do fast completely (or abstain from fish, etc.) on certain days, etc., most Protestants do not follow this practice.

Generally, the three practices of Lent are prayer, fasting and charity.

As for the ashes – yes, they are traditionally made from palm leaves, though this is not a requirement in Lutheranism. I always thought my dad had an interesting take on the creation of the ashes that he used. After Epiphany (January 6, we don’t take our trees down until then!) he would cut off all the limbs off the tree and set them aside in the garage. He would then use the truck of the tree (cut in two) to create a cross that he would display in our yard during the Lenten season. He would also burn some of the trunk, mix the ashes with a bit of oil to create the Ash Wednesday ashes.

This year, I am giving up refined sugars for Lent. I am all at once looking forward to it and dreading it!

BethanyWDs last blog post..Grace in Small Things, Volume 3.

By: Jennifer Harvey

Jennifer Harvey — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:45:37 +0000

Never tried to wipe it off, but I was all, "Uh, you've got some (points), uh, something on your forehead." Embarrassing. Jennifer Harveys last blog post..Toward light

By: Molly

Molly — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:38:48 +0000

I’m that girl who goes “you have something on your forehead!” I love being Jewish.

I went to a mostly jewish high school, so we all got confused when about 50 students/teachers showed up with “schmutz” on their heads. and then we were like “ohhh. Ash Wednesday?” (honestly without this post I wouldn’t have realized it was tomorrow)

By: dana

dana — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:44:01 +0000

Just an FYI: all Mountain Dew is caffeine-free in Canada! dana's last blog post..Warmth Continues

By: Mrs. Mustard

Mrs. Mustard — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 02:43:29 +0000

Nicole M is on the money. One thing that can be mentioned is that an act of charity can replace abstaining from meat on Fridays.
The other thing is that even during Lent, Sundays are always a feast day, so lenten observances are set aside for Sundays. And if you count out the days from Ash Wednesday to Easter, you realize that there are more than 40. This is because Sundays don’t count, so to speak.

By: Isabel

Isabel — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:35:59 +0000

Holy crap, when I moved to Washington I called Pepsi distribution and asked where I could get my favorite drink, Diet Caffeine Free Mountain Dew. They told me there wasn't such a thing! Whatever, I bring two 24-packs back with me every time I go to Utah to visit my family. Oh, and I dated a Catholic for two years in college...in Utah. There is a such number of Catholics in Carbon County. Who knew? (Oh, and on Ash Wednesday, in Carbon County, Utah...there were tons of people whose foreheads I tried to wipe off. I suck.) Isabel's last blog post..Because I have been given much

By: Liza

Liza — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:54:10 +0000

As another Presbyterian, I wanted to chime in too. We don't necessarily "give something up" for Lent, although we do observe Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season. In my church, we were encouraged to take on some kind of practice to be more mindful of Jesus' sacrifice for us, and more prayerful. Liza's last blog post..The Big Winner? Democracy