H i There!

Each year we put out a “Lent Letter” in which we explain the basics about this very important season and also introduce the theme or focus for that particular year.

This year I want start with our “Lent Focus.”

Our theme for this year is: “And the Angels were Silent: Lent through the eyes of Holy Week.”

Starting on the Sunday before Lent and Ash Wednesday, we will be working through Mark’s account of the events that took place in “Holy Week” – the week before Jesus was crucified. This will give us an intense and in-depth look at Jesus in the final stretch of His Mission. I believe it is going to be significant.

There are five challenges for this Lent Season:

1. Try to catch all the Lent Services – face to face or online

2. Read one of the Gospels over Lent. (I’m recommending Luke or Mark)

3. Sign up for EmmDevs (Devotions Theo sends out Tue-Fri). You can get them in email or by whatsapp.
   Just go https://emmdev.blogspot.com/ and follow the instructions there.

4. Starting on the week of 10 March our Bible Study Groups will be looking at “The shadows of Easter in Genesis.” This is a five part Bible Study looking at Genesis events that prepare the way for the coming of Jesus.

5. Read the Lent Letter below and do the Adding and Subtracting.

We wish you a blessed Lent and Easter.

May we see Jesus more clearly than ever before.

Much Love and GodBless,
Theo

Thinking about Lent…

Many years ago we decided to re-look at the tradition of Lent. While it is not a usual Presbyterian Tradition, we felt that there was lots of good that could come from blowing the dust and cobwebs off a really old tradition of the church and to use it as a tool for spiritual growth and development.

The purpose of this pamphlet is to answer some commonly asked questions about Lent and to offer a particular focus for this year.

“So, What is Lent?”

Lent is based on the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness at the beginning of His public ministry. (Sundays are not counted, so Lent is actually 46 days long)

During the second century it became customary to baptise all converts on Easter Sunday. During those ages of persecution and martyrdom, they had to be thoroughly prepared for the confession of their faith and for their challenging walk with the Lord.

These preparations lasted 40 days – not counting Sundays. Fasting and Prayer played an important role alongside the lessons the converts would receive during this time.

After a while, other Church members felt the need to repeat the course. This always coincided with the European Spring and so this Season of the Church became known as “Lent” which is Latin for Spring. Lent reaches its climax on Good Friday and ends with the Celebration of Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

There are two important aspects to Lent:

• Penitence: We realise our own brokenness and our need for Christ.

• Preparation: We strive to open our hearts wider for the celebration of Easter.

During Lent there are three tasks:

• Prayer is about Preparing our Hearts, becoming more aware of God’s love and goodness. It’s not just about rituals but relationship.

• Fasting doesn’t only have to be about food. It’s any kind of addition to or subtraction from our lives that sharpens our focus on God.

• Giving is about making a difference in the lives of others and growing compassion in us because the rush of life makes us callous.

The idea around Lent is that we add to and subtract from our lives so that we don’t only move forward but God-ward. Traditionally there are three directions for our “fasting” to take:

1. Towards God (through prayer, reflection and action)

2. Towards Ourselves (through the creation of good habits or breaking bad ones)

3. Towards Others (through charity and kindness)

So, here are some examples:

• Give up sugar or coffee and use the “cravings” as a reminder to think about and devote yourself to God.

• Set your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier for devotions or exercise.

• Reduce your TV hours and use the time to read a good devotional book or to spend quality time with your family.

• Volunteer some time to help at a charitable organisation or do something to help the poor and needy.

• Come to church more regularly or join a fellowship group for the 6 weeks

“Where does Shrove Tuesday fit in?”

The term ‘Shrove’ is derived from the word ‘shrive’ or ‘shriven’, which refers to the process of ‘confessing ones sins’ before going into Lent.

In many Christian traditions people would abstain from rich foods during this fast time. As Wednesday was the start of Lent, Tuesday would be used as a day to use up the “rich” foods (eggs, butter, oil, milk, etc) in the house. Pancakes serve this purpose very well!

The ingredients are seen symbolically: Eggs represent creation and a new beginning, salt represents cleansing and wholesomeness, milk stands for purity and flour for the substance of life.

Jesus reminded His disciples that they should not look mournful when they fasted and so the church found it fitting to start a fast with a feast!

“Ash Wednesday”

Job says to God: “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:5-6)

A sh Wednesday is primarily a day of repentance – of sorrow because of what our sins do to God, His work and those around us.

According to the Bible, repentance consists of:

• a true sense of one’s own guilt and sinfulness;

• an expectation of God’s grace and mercy

• an actual hatred of sin

• turning from sin to God

• seeking a holy life by obediently walking with God.

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2Cor7:10)

In the very traditional observation of Ash Wednesday, worshippers come forward to confess and repent of their sin in silent prayer. They are marked with the sign of the cross, using a paste of ash and olive oil. The ash represents the sorrow and contriteness we feel over our sin. The olive oil represents joy, blessing and consecration which is the work of the Holy Spirit. We are marked with the sign of the cross to remind us that it is Christ who saves us.

Often as they are marked, the priest or elder will say “Your sins are forgiven – go and sin no more.”

Ash Wednesday starts the “Fasting” of Lent on the right foot – we realise how badly we need God.

In Conclusion – Don’t only Subtract…

What do I mean? Many people give up things for Lent: Coffee, Facebook, Shaving, Media, Sugar, etc. This year we’d like to challenge you to add to your life!  For example:

• Get up 15 minutes earlier than usual and sit in your garden with your Bible and a cup of coffee.

• Set aside daily/weekly time to walk around your neighbourhood (or a greenbelt) picking up litter.

• Make a decision to write 1 or 2 encouraging letters to people around you each week.

• Think of a few lonely people to contact over Lent.

• Choose to work with a charity project or an outreach project, making a difference for the poor and needy.

• Help raise funds for a needy cause.

• Offer lifts to people without transport or help housebound folk with shopping.

• When you make your or your kids’ lunch sandwiches, make an extra set and hand them out to someone in need. (Or buy some tins of food (with ring pulls) or “Robot Food” at church to hand out)

• Go and help at an animal shelter

This can be a powerful thing for families. Sit down together with your family and come up with a Lent Plan to do some things that will make a difference and remember that Jesus calls us to do this discreetly “not letting our left hand know what the right is doing.”

Lent is a wonderful time to prepare for Easter, but sometimes I worry that we over-spiritualise it and are too self-centred. In these tough times let us actively choose “not to be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom12:21).

We hope that your Lent experience will be a profound one.