{"id":4713,"date":"2018-02-16T08:00:22","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T00:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=4713"},"modified":"2021-10-18T15:47:55","modified_gmt":"2021-10-18T07:47:55","slug":"194-observe-lent-with-thanksgiving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=4713","title":{"rendered":"194. Observe Lent with Thanksgiving"},"content":{"rendered":"

4\u00a0<\/sup>When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0your God,\u00a05\u00a0<\/sup>you shall make this response before the\u00a0Lord\u00a0your God: \u201cA wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.\u00a06\u00a0<\/sup>When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us,\u00a07\u00a0<\/sup>we cried to the\u00a0Lord, the God of our ancestors; the\u00a0Lord\u00a0heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.\u00a08\u00a0<\/sup>The\u00a0Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders;\u00a09\u00a0<\/sup>and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.\u00a010<\/sup> So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O\u00a0Lord, have given me.\u201d<\/span> <\/strong>[Deuteronomy 26:4-10<\/span>, NRSV<\/em>].<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0Bread, broken and shared<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ramadan, the\u00a0ninth month<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Islamic calendar<\/a>, is observed by\u00a0Muslims<\/a>\u00a0worldwide as a month of\u00a0fasting<\/a>\u00a0to commemorate the\u00a0first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad<\/a>\u00a0according to Islamic belief. A Muslim friend told us that he is always a changed person during Ramadan, seriously fasting instead of wasting himself in usual careless consumption, keeping quiet and somber, praying all the time, instead of behaving loosely. We did not find it amusing when he said that because that is what the month of Ramadan commonly generates in the Muslim community – \u00a0fasting, praying and a somber spirit.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the Christians, it is likewise easy to sober down a little, and enter into the season of Lent with mourning and repentance. It is easy for us to recall,\u00a0for instance, prophet Joel\u2019s call: \u201cRend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the\u00a0Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing” (Joel 2:13). Such\u00a0Joel-like spirit is commonly observed and pretty contagious in the church community during these forty-days.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is perhaps more difficult to do, is to embark on the Lenten journey with thanksgiving. That is, we shall celebrate Lent by celebrating the Lord\u2019s bounty. Recall prophet Amos in this regard as he proclaims in Amos 4:5: \u201c\u2018Bring a thank offering of leavened bread, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel!\u2019 says the Lord\u00a0God.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At the start of Lent, we are accustomed to the Gospel imagery of Jesus in the desert – praying and fasting, and resisting the allures of Satan. That is necessary. That, in fact, has become the primal desert sojourn around which we structure our Lenten practice. However, the memorable passage from Deuteronomy 26:1-12<\/a> offers helpful pointers towards translating an Amos-like spirit into actions and serves as a different and yet profound way to celebrate Lent as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this speech delivered by Moses to the Israelites at the river Jordan just before their entry into the land of promise, the founder of the Israeli nation is reminding his 7th<\/sup>-century B.C. fellow citizens what they need to be doing to fulfill the ancient commands of YHWH, offered to them long ago on the banks of Jordan. In\u00a0Deuteronomy 26<\/a>, Moses addresses the subject of proper thanksgiving. Here, we are given a glimpse of what it means to be thankful and how to translate true thanksgiving into real life actions.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Remember God\u2019s Gifts and Make Return-Gifts<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n