Dear Friends,
As you read this the beginning of Lent is less than a month away;
Ash Wednesday being 22nd February this year. It is our turn to host the Churches Together in Hitchin Christian Aid Lunch, so we look forward to welcoming folk from other churches and to raising a goodly sum of money.
Christian Aid produces a simple but challenging leaflet for lent each year which gives some information for each day and invites a response. for example, '884 million people in the developing world use unsafe drinking water sources. give 50p if you have always lived in a property with running water.' this is a practical way of taking lent seriously and benefiting other people as we do so. copies of the leaflet will be available and i encourage you to use it.
Some people find it helpful to read a Lent book. There are some for borrowing in the church library, but if you prefer to buy one a selection will be available for you to peruse and order, one of which will be 'The Way of the Desert' by Andrew Watson. The stories of Jesus' temptations in the wilderness in the gospels of Matthew and Luke tell of him responding to each temptation by quoting from the Book of Deuteronomy. From this the author surmises that during this time Jesus may have been pondering that book and perhaps the whole story of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. So, for each day, he has a part of that story and puts alongside it a relevant passage from the New Testament. For those of us who do not read the Old Testament as often as we might this is a helpful corrective. But other Lent books are also available!
Whether or not you read a Lent book, I would encourage you to take Lent seriously. Traditionally, it is a time of giving up things - especially things we enjoy! This practice may well have its value, but it is even more valuable for us to give up those things which hinder our growth in Christlikeness and our relationships with other people. As well as the so-called 'seven deadly sins' of pride, covetousness, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, sloth, there are things like grumbling, gossip, criticism, materialism, apathy and colluding with injustice. To give up these things - and permanently, not just for Lent - will be of benefit to other people as well as ourselves.
Yours in the love of Christ
John Matthews
