Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

With Ash Wednesday quickly approaching, I’m giving a lot of thought to what this year’s Lenten discipline will be. I’ve never been one to give up a particular food or drink; I lean towards clearing clutter out of my life to make room for greater focus on my spiritual life and/or time for service.

One idea rolling around in my brain is a Lenten carbon fast. Last week, both one of my online newsletters and Facebook brought the article “Age-old Lent gets a 21st century makeover,” by Jeffrey MacDonald (Religion News Service) to my attention. The March issue of Vestry Papers had just been published; the title of one of the articles is “A Lenten Carbon Fast.” Imagine my surprise while reading the first paragraphs of MacDonald’s article:

“For Janis Galvin fasting for Lent has long meant saying no to candy for the 40 days before Easter. But when the season begins this year on March 9, it's apt to mean something more: walking when she'd rather drive, for instance, or turning the thermostat way down.

Galvin, an Episcopalian, will join with about 1,000 others who've signed up for the 2011 Ecumenical Lenten Carbon Fast, a daily regimen for reducing energy consumption and fighting global warming.

Lent is getting a makeover, especially in some Protestant traditions where it hasn't always drawn strong interest. The carbon fast is one of several initiatives aimed at reinvigorating Lent by linking themes of fasting and abstention to wider social causes.”

Clearly the idea of a carbon fast is drawing interest. After five days, the Google Analytics for ECF Vital Practices and Vestry Papers show “A Lenten Carbon Fast” to be the most read article in this issue. I’m considering making Earth Ministry/WAIPL’s “Prayer and Action Guide for a Lenten Fast from Carbon” part of my Lenten discipline. 

What about you? Are you giving anything up for Lent?