lent
Today is Ash Wednesday, the day in the Christian calendar when we confront our mortality and remember the fantastic gift of salvation God has granted us through Jesus. Christians of the liturgical persuasion observe the season of Lent as a time to hone in on Jesus' life, work and sacrifice, and being the über-liturgical Lutheran I am, I am therefore confronted annually with the question of what special practice I might give up -- or adopt -- in an effort to direct my attention more deeply. In college, this usually took on the form of giving up Dr. Pepper from the campus pop machines. More recently, I've attempted with various degrees of success to add a practice such as devotional reading or prayer. (Chocolate has never entered the equation; my birthday invariably falls during Lent and while on one hand, no sacrifice should be too great, on the other, life is after all for the living...)
This year, prompted by the musings of a friend on my recent post about Facebook, I resolve to both add and subtract. It was suggested that I give up Facebook entirely. A worthy idea in many respects, but upon careful reflection I decided a more beneficial enterprise might be to practice the discipline of self-control in my Internet usage more broadly. Rather than creating a "forbidden fruit," with the inevitable consequence of becoming preoccupied with other things, I plan to practice exercising the virtue of restraint. Do I need to go on Facebook today? No, I probably don't. So I won't. If someone sends me a message, a valued friend is having a birthday or a friend or family member informs me there is something to which I should pay some care, then using Facebook becomes a good and not a detriment. More broadly, how many blogs should I read? Which ones? Do I really need to check the BBC Sport Web site seventeen times because somehow clicking through sites makes me feel productive? Absolutely not. Check the Netflix queue, read the highlights, pay heed to relationships and professional development in particular, and then move on with life... this shall be my mantra. We'll see how I do.
The thing about resolving restraint in Internet usage is that on its own, it's a laudable goal but not necessarily all that Lenten. Accordingly, there's a second pair of components to this plan (also partially inspired by my friend... see, J, I did read that email!). First comes the question of how to redirect my impulses in the short term. When I feel the impulse to check for the fourteenth time whether someone's updated their blog... I plan to pray instead. I should be doing that more anyway. I suspect I will be doing it a LOT over the next 40 days. If you have requests, let me know. I'll need material. Second, I plan to make these weeks a time of intentional connection via other means. I resolve to take the time to see people in person... perhaps even (shudder) talk on the phone. To reach out and make the in-person connections that provide the greatest benefit to myself and to the other. To grow in the community God calls us to. Again, given my terror of the telephone we'll see how this goes, but hey, baby steps... and, of course, one can set up in-person meetings via email. ;-) So, if you'd like to meet for coffee or chat on the phone, let me know!
From dust we came, and to dust we shall return... praise God, then, for the promise that dust is not the whole story.
This year, prompted by the musings of a friend on my recent post about Facebook, I resolve to both add and subtract. It was suggested that I give up Facebook entirely. A worthy idea in many respects, but upon careful reflection I decided a more beneficial enterprise might be to practice the discipline of self-control in my Internet usage more broadly. Rather than creating a "forbidden fruit," with the inevitable consequence of becoming preoccupied with other things, I plan to practice exercising the virtue of restraint. Do I need to go on Facebook today? No, I probably don't. So I won't. If someone sends me a message, a valued friend is having a birthday or a friend or family member informs me there is something to which I should pay some care, then using Facebook becomes a good and not a detriment. More broadly, how many blogs should I read? Which ones? Do I really need to check the BBC Sport Web site seventeen times because somehow clicking through sites makes me feel productive? Absolutely not. Check the Netflix queue, read the highlights, pay heed to relationships and professional development in particular, and then move on with life... this shall be my mantra. We'll see how I do.
The thing about resolving restraint in Internet usage is that on its own, it's a laudable goal but not necessarily all that Lenten. Accordingly, there's a second pair of components to this plan (also partially inspired by my friend... see, J, I did read that email!). First comes the question of how to redirect my impulses in the short term. When I feel the impulse to check for the fourteenth time whether someone's updated their blog... I plan to pray instead. I should be doing that more anyway. I suspect I will be doing it a LOT over the next 40 days. If you have requests, let me know. I'll need material. Second, I plan to make these weeks a time of intentional connection via other means. I resolve to take the time to see people in person... perhaps even (shudder) talk on the phone. To reach out and make the in-person connections that provide the greatest benefit to myself and to the other. To grow in the community God calls us to. Again, given my terror of the telephone we'll see how this goes, but hey, baby steps... and, of course, one can set up in-person meetings via email. ;-) So, if you'd like to meet for coffee or chat on the phone, let me know!
From dust we came, and to dust we shall return... praise God, then, for the promise that dust is not the whole story.
Interesting thoughts - (are you checking your comments regularly I wonder?!)
ReplyDeleteI don't usually 'do' lent - but this year - someone sent me an email (as a joke actually) that challenged me. I am a huuuuuge tea drinker - and I was challenged to give up drinking tea and drink only tap water - and donate the money I would have spent to a charity that helps provide clean tap water in Uganda. - (The joke was that with the money saved I could provide them with a lake!). Anyhow - I decided to do it! Day two - headache galore - but no tea and some money donated :) - I am not sure which I would find more difficult - giving up tea or restricting social networking. Good on you.
So - you are not a phone fan either?! I pretty much refuse to use them. On the rare occasion I have to call someone - they usually see it is me and get really panicked because they know I don't use the phone! Emails, texts, social networking and face to face - yes - but phone - no! I am with you on that one!
Let me know how it all goes! Jo
Hi, Jo: Yes, I do check my comments regularly -- I have them set up to forward to my email account. :-) I'll be curious to hear how the tea fast goes... that would be tough, but what a great idea! I didn't used to be a caffeine person, but then I had a child and tried to continue producing scholarship/teaching. Suddenly it became necessary, thus I decided to embrace my Lutheran heritage (a stereotypically pro-coffee bunch).
ReplyDeleteNope, not a phone fan either. I have made it past serious childhood shyness on many levels, but there's something about the telephone that I find difficult to contend with!