I live in America. (The United States, that is. There are other Americas.) America is a Calvinist country.
Calvinists aren't much into sacrificing for Lent.
Here's why.
You see, Catholics are big into sacrificing in Lent.
But the rest of the year Catholics get to go to a happy, serene, joyous church.
That's what Calvinists sacrifice for Lent.
We don't go to a happy, serene, joyous church.
Calvinists go to a sad, guilt-ridden, serious, somber church where we aren't allowed to have fun.
Notice I said, Calvinists.
Not Pentecostals.
Not Black Baptists.
No.
I mean mainstream 'white' Protestant churches in America.
Which, whatever their denomination, are pretty much all extreme Calvinist in culture.
Not moderate Calvinist like in Scotland or Holland.
We aren't allowed to be happy at church.
We're just lucky if they are kind to us at all!
But even if we find that rare kind church in 'white' Protestant America, we still have to be somber all the time!
That is why we aren't much into sacrificing in Lent.
Because our Lent sacrifice is going to a church where we aren't allowed to feel joy.
While Catholics get to have a serene, happy, joyful church the rest of the year.
A church that is more like a Buddhist monastery.
And then, of course, the Lent sacrifice becomes more like a prayer than a punishment.
More like a prayer connecting us to God!
Whereas in the churches in 'white' Protestant America, things like that are more likely to be presented as a guilt-ridden punishment!
You aren't allowed to pray to God yet, you haven't done your time!
Catholics get to go to a happy, joyful church!
And Pentecostals even more so!
A 'Black' church is almost like being inside joy!
I would much prefer to go to one of those churches!
God loves you!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson
P.S. The church I went to as a kid was a rebel church. Our preacher, a woman named Faith, was a rebel hero who transformed that one church into a bastion of Love and Kindness. My Mom searched for that rebel church. She did not know where any Pentecostal or Catholic churches were, and she searched hard for that rebel church. It was part of a moderate denomination, but only that hero preacher, Faith, could turn it into what it became. It was like descovering a church that was like Veggietales. We still had to be serious at church, not like the joy of a Pentecostal church (she could have never gotten away with that!), but we didn't have to be sad! We need more like her over here!