Lent Rant - An MSN Conversation

I changed my MSN name to "I gave up lent for lent" and a friend commented on it. This was my reply, to which I thought "Hey, I should blog about this", but I'm writing an overdue paper on baptism so I figure I'd just post the slightly censored conversation on here.

brad | 41-23-6 | says:
love it. gave up lent for lent, that's awesome
GoAT says:
lol
GoAT says:
you like that?
GoAT says:
you can use it next year, but this year I have it copywritten.
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
hahaha
GoAT says:
Yeah.. this year when Lent was coming around I was thinking if I was going to do anything for lent. Lent eventually came and I didn't choose anything, so I just didn't really care.
GoAT says:
Then I kept hearing all these people who gave up things that they should NORMALLY give up that they gave up for lent.. like sugar, premarital sex (seriously), j-walking, just stuff new years resolutions.
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
that was the same for me
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
oh i know
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
stupid
GoAT says:
So I decided to go on strike against lent, and that's when I got this idea.
GoAT says:
I mean, the classic/historical/orthodox view of lent is awesome. It's not "pick something you wanna change about yourself and pretend to suffer with Jesus while you're doing it".
GoAT says:
I mean, if you pick something GOOD, something where you really suffer, awesome. I'm all for giving up media (like, all of it, not just movies on weeknights), or giving up lunch, or something truly painful, because that's sort of the point. replace that time with Jesus time. Identify with suffering as much as we in the North American culture can.
GoAT says:
And I know ***** THINKS he's suffering by *** ******** ******, and maybe he is, but really he was ****** too much ***** before Lent started anyways.
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
its true
GoAT says:
but I like the orthodox view of lent.. where the whole church decides to suffer together, where they have rules and regulations to guide people in their lent.
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
it's like me giving up NHL hockey
GoAT says:
so much more communal.
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
that would actually really suck
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
well
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
i guess
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
media
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
your right
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
all of media
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
hrm
GoAT says:
hah. there. that's my lent rant.
GoAT says:
free of charge
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
it's a good rant indeed
GoAT says:
thanks
GoAT says:
i've been practcing.
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
haha
GoAT says:
practicing*
brad | 41-23-6 | says:
alan, you are delightful
GoAT says:
thank you sir.