Lent thread

I'm not specifically giving anything up but I'm embarking on a healthy lifestyle as of tomorrow!

Apart from wanting to lose weight I want to get fit and improve my general health. So I suppose I will be giving up Costs Hot Chocolates and crisps at 10am!

Do you know - i think i am going to restart going to church for lent. It seems an appropriate time to do it. Will have a look at my local one and see if they are doing an ash wednesday service tomorrow night and start from there.

can't think of anything i could give up that would be a sacrifice iyswim - i don't eat that much chocolate or many sweets etc. Will ponder further.

I told MrKB it's Lent tomorrow, he said he was going to give up alcohol ? 40 days I said, you sure? Oh, maybe just during the week to begin with ?

I've stepped back into drinking during the week so I'm going to definitely cut alcohol out of my diet for the whole of Lent, and try to get into an exercise routine. It's been difficult lately but I feel a new lease of life in me after yesterdays result.

Don't forget people, you get Sundays off as it's always a day for celebration. (Go on, count the days - it's 40 plus the Sundays.)

I ought to decide to spend 10 mins a day reading the bible/praying. Little enough I know, but I've got so bad at this in recent years.

i would like to do this too - can we be bible buddies?

Swampy, I was thinking about doing the same thing...I am VERY lapsed and I have had this urge in the last 6 months to go back to church. I was worried that I might not be accepted but that's just a stupid reason for not going.

well i am impressed - i just googled for the details of my local c of e church and emailed the priest to ask if they are doing a service tomorrow - had a reply already to say that there is a communion service at 7-30pm tomorrow. So i will be going - will give it til easter to see how i fit in there - if that one doesn't suit i will look elsewhere afterwards.

go on - join me in the starting church clique ? i will do virtual hand holding and everyfink!

Good plan ?

Going to church regularly is a good idea. We went at Christmas and Easter Sunday last year but that was the only time I've been other than weddings and christenings and I would like to go more.

Can anyone answer me this though as I feel daft asking the vicar. Its a Church of England church but the people get up to take communion. I thought this only happened in Catholic churches? You do get the option of receiving a blessing but I'd like to know if I can take communion. Someone told me that you had to have taken your holy communion but again I thought that this was something that just Catholics did. I've been christened but thats it.

I hope my ignorance hasn't offended anyone!

Communion happens in CofE churches too. Generally you have to be confirmed to take it, although the church I go to is not too worried about it.

you need to have been confirmed in order to take communion - it is a course of study and preparation that you take.

Can I take it now as an adult? I presume I can get up to have a blessing though? I think I will email the vicar and ask about the course.

I think that confirmation is better done as an adult in many ways. Yes of course you can have a blessing anyway.

if i was you before you get too hung up on taking communion i would find a church that i found comfortable with and attend for a while before deciding on confirmation. They only do the classes every so often anyway - depends on when the bishop is able to do the service of confirmation.

good luck - maybe we can support each other thru the starting church thing? I used to be very regular and a very active member of my church - then we moved away and i struggled to find one i felt happy in. Am planning on making much more effort this time tho....

I've only been to our Parish church twice but I really liked it.

The vicar is female and I found that she doesn't preach. She gives you options and tells you to make your own mind up which I really like.

I've emailed the vicar now so hopefully I will hear something soon.

Thanks Swampytiggaa and everyone for your advice, swampytiggaa I think it'd be great to support each other! Thats if you don't mind me asking daft questions!!

I don't mind at all!

i will be going to the ash wednesday service tomorrow night at 7-30 all being well - will report back on thursday morning.

I really miss going to church sometimes. I grew up in a real 'community' church. It's funny but I was speaking to my friend about this a month ago, and that I miss the social element of the church. <looks above to see if she is about to be cast down by God!> As a family, we were really involved with the youth clubs, and would go to services every sunday and would get involved with the harvest suppers and such like. I have very fond memories of that. The closest I've got to that feeling is going to my cousins church for quizes and such like to raise money for their church.

I just love that feeling of belonging there, but H isn't much into that. We are both christians, but he is much more of a "I go to church to praise God, not to be social". He is Lutheran, Church of Danmark, and I was brought up Methodist, but it was funny when we started going to a C of E church and they started doing the sign of peace and we had to shake hands with people...he didn't get that, but I completely embraced it.

I will also be going to the Ash Wednesday service tomorrow evening although I think its in a different church.

I feel really good for committing to this now.

H got confirmed last year (I was when I was a teenager), and we both went to the classes, which I found really useful.

In our church you are allowed to take communion if you aren't confirmed though I think someone said some churchs don't allow it.

I hate it that you can't see the whole thread while you reply now! Someone was saying that they shook hands for the Peace, we go to a Methodist church and we do that to.

To answer the original question-

I am planning to folly the Leeds Lent prayer book-40 days of prayers and thought, and make more of an effort to read my bible-H and I are doing this together.Also planning to re-start my walks in the morning. AND we are giving up take-away, which will be REALLY hard as we've got very bad lately! I'm a bit anxious I've set myself too much, but they are all things I really want to do, and the praying/bible reading especially seems appropriate.

I feel I should be doing a bit more bible reading wise (like open it, for a start) - I might try and do something online at lunchtimes - but there are so many sites I don't know where to start...

I currently go to a free church but where we were before (low church of England!!) you didn't have to be confirmed to take communion.

Zoay - your post about sundays off made me smile. 2 years ago my hubby gave upo alcohol for lent and was GUTTED when he found out he could have been drinking on sundays! He's now t total, because he figured the amount that he was gutted by probably meant he put too much reliance on it!

I too am hoping to spend more time reading mmy bible and use lent to kick start me. I tent to read in big blocks, but not daily.

All those who are doing daily bible study - are there any courses on line that we could agree to do together, or agree to post regularly about what we've read? I know some accountability would really help me. Or study a book of the bible together. I'll just slink away in case you all think i'm mad!

Ok so I've been bible shopping at lunch but now I'm all confused as to what type to go for. Any recommendations please?

I love my life application study bible. Not so in love with the translation (new living, though i think you can get NIV) but the notes are fabulous, esp to help me understand the old testament

Cosmopolitan: I would recommend getting some bible study notes alongside getting a Bible. I use the Scripture Union ones, MIL uses Everyday with Jesus who do one specifically for women.

I still use the good news bible i was bought when i got confirmed [nearly 30 years ago now]

Thanks all. I will go and look again after work.

Can I join you, my quiet times have become a thing of the past and I know I'd benefit from getting them back

Posted before I'd read the whole thread. A lent course would be a great idea. We could all read and then ask questions, discuss it etc.

Anyone have a suggestion? I can't get to the Christian bookshop (it's in an awkward place to get to with 3 children, buggies etc) so if I suggest something it would be something I've done, and I think I'd benefit more from a new look.

I'd love to say alcohol, i've hardly had any since New Year but i'm out on 28 March so I may just cut my lent down a bit lol!

What about this?

http://www.thisischurch.com/booklets/lordsprayer.htm

It has five parts - we could read one a week and then have a thread to hold the discussion on?

that looks doable..... count me in!

I'd be up for that

I would love to go to Church for the community part of it, but as I'm not Christian it's not really viable, although strangely enough I believe in God more now I'm not a Christian that I did when I was which is very bizarre!

Anyway last Friday in a drunken state I did say I was going to give up sugar (meaning refined) but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it. Although I have a feeling it will help with my health as I think most unhealthy things, including bread (I think still?) have white sugar in them. I do cook main meals and stuff mostly from scratch which helps. And maybe without my sugar fix I may turn out to be a lot more balanced and cheerful to be around ?...so what alcohol can I have with no sugar in???