Lent Dilemma

 Dan writes:

At this time of year, I have a dilemma. Not being raised in a church tradition that “did Lent” the thought of giving something up still seems… odd; and I struggle to participate.

I see the biblical merits and good intentions. Sacrificing something of value to try and identify with Jesus in the desert. However, Luke 4 says “Jesus returned… in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.”

My dilemma lies in our method, not the intention. Often, we go for a minor-substitution approach. A pseudo New Year’s resolution.  Sugar for sweetener. Chocolate for fruit. Caffeine for decaff. TV for books. Smoking for vaping. Swearing for “Dag-nam-it!”

All great ideas, but do these types of substitution help draw us closer to God? Do we finish 40 days full of the Spirit? Does news about Jesus spread as a consequence?

This year, as we pursue God together, consider making a swap that answers with a resounding “Yes. Amen and Hallelujah!”.

The Lent Locker

The season of lent can offer a great storehouse of opportunities to ready ourselves for Easter. Here are a few things in the Lenten pipeline:

Ash Wednesday, 26th February, 8pm @ St John’s

Jesus Christ has died; Jesus Christ is risen; Jesus Christ will come again.’ The Prayer and Worship Teams invite you to mark the start of Lent with an evening of prayer and worship. If you can’t make this time, there is a Communion Service with ashing at St Francis at 10:45am.

Quiet Day, 7 March, 10:30am-3:30pm @ St John’s

Organised jointly by St Francis, St Mary's and St John's. It will focus on the “I am” sayings of Jesus. Please join us when you can.

New Teaching Series

Building on our ‘Pursuit of God’ series, we’ll flip the focus and start a new series called ‘God’s Pursuit of Us’, thinking about the extraordinary lengths to which God goes to bring us back to himself.