Why keep Lent?

Since the earliest days of the Church, Christians have seen the 4 0 days leading up to Easter as an opportunity to concentrate on their spiritual journey. Lent is a time to step aside from some of the relentless activity that fills our lives, to turn our thoughts inwards, to reconnect with the God who cal ls each of us by name to follow. Lent is a time to review our life's balance, to consider whether we have priorities right, perhaps to shed some things that hav e become unhelpfully important, or to take on others. During Lent we have a rang e of opportunities to worship in different ways and to reflect on our growth in faith together. There are also ways to make a practical difference as a sign of our own commitment, perhaps through the Bishop's Lent Challenge. You might like to try a Lent book- there are suggestions below or take a look at the selection to borrow in our Lent Library at the back of St Matthew's. Whatever you do, may yo u have a holy Lent, and grow in grace. LENT BOOKS 2012 Some suggestions from many titles available through the Centre Christian Booksho p, Stroud. The Nail - Stephen Cottrell Lent for Everyone Tom Wright : daily readings & reflections on the Gospel of Mar k Never mind the Reversing Ducks Adrian Plass Benefice Lent Course : Spot the Difference We all know that our faith is a something that should change our every moment, b ut sometimes it seems that there's nothing that makes us in any way different fr om our non-Christian friends and neighbours. Our Lent course this year helps us to reflect on their unspoken question You're a Christian: so what...? Sessions will take place at the vicarage on Thursdays starting 1st March. Soup & fruit supper from 7.00, discussion starts 7.30 Collection for the Bishop's Lent Challenge (details below) The Lent Fast Fasting is an ancient spiritual discipline common to most religions. In recent t imes Christians have become particularly aware of how seriously Muslims take the practice of fasting, especially during Ramadan, when they do not eat during day light hours. We sometimes seem to be less aware of fasting as part of our own re ligious tradition, but of course the Bible describes and advocates fasting in se veral places. The prophet Joel in one of the traditional readings for Ash Wednes day speaks of our returning to the Lord with fasting, with weeping and with mourn ing. Jesus himself spent forty days in the wilderness fasting. Jesus also said in his teaching, When you fast, not If you fast, but When you fast. The essential point of fasting is discipline. It is a time of going without simp ly in order to bring us back to the simple life, making do with no more than we need, and making sure we have not become addicted to things that are unnecessary or even harmful. But there are naturally other benefits. One will be benefit to our bodies as well as our souls if we fast sensibly. Another benefit is that, w ith the money we save through fasting, we can help the poor and that is particul arly pleasing to God. There is no one way to fast. The most common Lent observan ce is by giving up for Lent some particular item of food or drink - no alcohol , no biscuits, no cheese, or whatever it might be, But thats only one possibility . There is also the possibility of eating nothing in the middle of the day (thou gh one should drink water) either on Friday or another particular day or perhaps every weekday through Lent. There is the possibility of giving up meat for Lent . Or one could invite family or friends to share once a week, in place of their main meal of the day, in a very simple hunger lunch or hunger supper of not much mor e than bread and water. In the Diocese of Gloucester in 2012 the hope is that the Lent Fast will support the Bishops Challenge, which aims to raise funds for two projects in Africa. One

is in our link diocese of Western Tanganyika, where the diocese is looking to f inish the construction of a dispensary building in Mubanga, one of its remoter p arishes, to provide health services, especially to women and young children. The other is the Kailahun Health Project, a European Union supported project, monit ored by Christian Aid, in Sierra Leone. This project will enhance facilities in two hospitals ensuring clean running water and a reliable electricity supply to all wards. This project us supported by the European Union which will add 3 to ev ery 1 we raise. Special services during Lent ASH WEDNESDAY 22nd February: 10.00 Holy Communion with Imposition of Ashes St Ma tthew s 6.00 Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) St Matthew s (please speak to Kathryn if you would like to make your confession at another ti me it can be a joyful as well as a helpful part of spiritual preparation for Eas ter) 7.00 Sung Holy Communion with Imposition of Ashes St Matthew s In addition to our normal pattern of Sunday worship there will again be a series of reflective services, Breathing Space, on Sunday evenings of Lent at 6.00. The services will differ in structure & content each week, but we hope to offer space and time to encounter God in new ways. The series starts on 26th Febr uary with Stations of the Cross. Other dates are 4th March,11th March, 25th Marc h & 1st April On Mothering Sunday, 18th March, posies will be distributed during worship at bo th churches in thanks for all those, both women and men, who nurture, support an d mother us. On Passion Sunday, 25th March, the Ven. Roger Morris, Archdeacon of Worcester, w ill be the guest preacher at both churches. He will speak on Christ s Passion. Experience Easter these stations will be available in St Matthew s from 21st Mar ch, and we will be welcoming children from St Matthew s and Cashes Green schools to explore the trail, but also using the stations as part of our own preparatio n for Holy Week. Holy Week Services - once again there will be a full diet of worship during Holy Week, as we journey together towards Easter. Full details to follow, but there will be a service each evening from Palm Sunday through to Good Friday. These se rvices are very much united events, designed to draw both congregations deeper i nto the Easter mysteries, at this most holy season of the year. Please try to ma ke them a priority.