What are you giving up for Lent?

Yesterday was Shrove Tuesday.

Today is Ash Wednesday.

All very quaint. For traditional Christians (including Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Methodists) today is the first day of Lent.

Lent means forty days of abstinence from an indulgence of your choice.

I have suggestions. Here are some of the things I'm prepared to sacrifice.

(1) Green smoothies
(2) Bungy jumping
(3) Scroggin
(4) Conservative NewsTalk radio
(5) Frank Sinatra recordings
(6) TV evangelists
(7) Quorn

As you can see, I chose a suitably biblical number. Technically I think you only have to select one thing but, in the spirit of sanctifying supererogation (a much-underused term on theological blogs), I think I may tackle the full set.

In fact, in keeping with the supererogation theme, I might keep up the giving up even beyond the end of Lent.

Feel free to join me.