A question for Lenten observance...?

@ moving on! That is not true. I would not agree with all of the Catholic practices of lent but most Christians observe Lent. Lutherans, Episcopalians, orthodox, Catholics, Methodists, and many reformed do lent.

Generally, Lutherans do not "give up" something for Lent, although the practice is not unknown among Lutherans. Going without something can be helpful when it reminds us on a daily basis that the Lord Jesus gave up his life so that we might be freed from the curse of our sins. St. Paul reminded the Corinthians: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" (Corinthians 8:9). This is a good reason for what is sometimes called "Lenten self-denial."

Lutherans tend to steer away from Lenten self-denial, however, because it has so often been abused in the Christian Church. Too many people "give something up" during Lent because they think they are making points with God, earning by their self-denial at least a little part of his forgiveness. The Bible rejects this thought completely. Peter wrote: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect" (1 Peter 1:18-19). In the hymn "Rock of Ages" we sing, "Nothing in my hands I bring; simply to thy cross I cling."

Lutherans believe that the forgiveness of sins is God's free gift to human beings. They believe that God forgives sins because Jesus met the demands God made of sinners. In the place of sinners, Jesus lived perfectly and obeyed all the laws God had set down for sinners. In the place of sinners, Jesus died, enduring the punishment God had decreed for sinners.

Because they believe that forgiveness is theirs because of Jesus' life and death, Lutherans focus on Jesus' life and death during the season of Lent. On the Sundays of Lent they watch as Jesus battles and overcomes Satan and his cohorts. During special services during the week, most Lutherans review the story of Jesus' final days on earth--his visit to the Garden of Gethsemane, his betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and burial.

Easter is set by the first full moon after the vernal equinox. This is the one day in the year when day and night are roughly equal!

It varies by more than a month over the years and so it simply cannot represent the date of anyone's death!!!

It is in fact a combination of several pagan festivals most notably the spring festival.

The name Easter comes from “Eastre” an Anglo-Saxon pagan goddess. Also the Norse goddess,Ostara who took her name from the Teutonic lunar goddess Eostre

Even the Chinese have the festival of Ching Ming where flowers and sweets are put on their ancestors graves!!

The egg and the rabbit are symbols of springtime and rebirth along with the custom of giving flowers etc!!

The Venerable Bede, an early Christian writer pointed out that the Christian church absorbed Pagan practices when it found the population unwilling to give up the festivals. Thus a lot of what Christians now see as Christians practices are in fact pagan!

Fun to watch the Christians worshiping a pagan festival though - makes it just like Christmas when they do the same thing!

Lent is a catholic lie

First, let's see what catholics say about lent:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm

Ok, we see a lot of talk about the 40 years that the Jews wandered in the desert, the 40 days Jesus was in the wilderness, ect.

But WHERE ARE THE SCFRIPTURAL REFERENCES saying that we should know anything more about these events, then they happened, or practice the same things, (such as not eating meat, giving up things for the time period of Lent), ect?

There is NOTHING in Scripture that even remotely SUGGESTS that we should do ANY of these things!

Just a bunch of "supposed" theologians, saying that we DO have to do these.

What I see here, is that catholics are commanded to do these things, simply as "brownie points", in order to get in good with God!

That falls under the catagory of what in Scripture is called WORKS.

What does the Bible say about works?

Ephesians 2:8-9 (New International Version)

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

Is giving up anything going to matter to God?

Is NOT eating meat on a specific day, going to matter to God?

Is celebrating a NON-SCRIPTURALy supported time period, going to matter to God?

How does God see any of these things, if they are simply to try to get in good with Him?

Isaiah 64:6 (New International Version)

6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,

and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

All of these works that I have pointed out are as FILTHY RAGS before God.

They are USELESS in the role that God WANTS us to live!

Don't you think that it is time to get rid of all the excess baggage, that man, NOT GOD, has "ordained", & start living ONLY by what the BIBLE teaches?

I guess your celebration of lent was different from mine when I was growing up Catholic. Lent was about sacrifice to be able to appreciate things. And the sacrifice could take all kinds of forms. When I was young I tried to read the bible instead of watching TV. Confession was the place for dealing with our sins.

I'm not sure what your question is, it comes across more as preaching.

scripture is full of penance and fasting by kings and ordinary people , wearing sackcloth and sprinkling ashes over themselves as a sign of hope and sorrow for their actions from joel , isaiah, deuteronomy , daniel, matthew,jeremiah job , and others