Journey into Lent

Can we, I wonder, become a bit too inward-looking during Lent?

Many churches put on special courses, hold retreats and encourage special spiritual disciplines at this time of year.  We do that because Lent is both a season of penance and preparation.  Some view it, helpfully, as time for a yearly spiritual MOT.

All of that is good because in a world where the ‘material’ often captures our longings and ambitions some spiritual recalibration is surely beneficial for the soul.  We believe that our hearts and minds are important because it’s from there that our actions spring.

So Lent, alongside all spiritual disciplines, is there to enable us to be so changed ‘inwardly’ that we are better equipped to look ‘outward’ and live a more Christ-like life of loving and generous service.

In his wilderness temptations Jesus seems to constantly reject all that might lead to personal advancement.  His spirituality is anything but pietistic. Instead, he begins his ministry the way he lived it, with a focus on living for others.

Lent really isn’t so much about giving up things as to what we might do more of.  More loving.  More serving. More real community.

View from the Pew week

Once a month, at the moment, I'm having a 'Sabbatical Sunday', visiting other churches and then writing it up on the 'sister' website to this.

A fortnight ago we visited The King's Chapel in Gibraltar - read the blog at:

https://viewfromthepewsabbatical.blogspot.com/

There is nothing love cannot face...

The BBC news website tells us this morning that Poundland have sold 40,000 rings in the lead up to this year’s St Valentine’s Day!  No expense spared for the person you love!

It many ways this date in our annual calendar is a funny old day.  Some make much of it whilst others, who are probably no less loving, let it drift by.  Its origin is ambiguous and the marking of it is varied.

St Paul’s poem in 1 Corinthians is, I believe, scripture at its best.  I think this poem about love is simply sublime.  It seems to come from no where yet instantly hits the spot with wonderful language and an understanding of the true nature of love that rings with the wisdom of the ages.

Love is patient, kind, envies no one, is never boastful……and so the litany goes on, and its genius is, I believe, that it puts ‘tough’ love right there alongside those ‘softer’ definitions.

Love keeps no record of wrongs, is never selfish and doesn’t take offence….not easy loving like this.  Yet the love that stays true and grows does exactly that; constantly giving and receiving second chances.

Today will be marked by plastic rings and expensive roses.  Cards will be exchanged with funny or deeply felt greetings.  However, for me, no words ring, on this of all days, with a greater or more profound truth than those of St Paul’s when he writes in his wonderful poem: There is nothing love cannot face.

Thanks be to God!

100 - not out...

Last Sunday’s reading in church made reference to Anna, the prophetess who, along with Simeon, greeted the baby Jesus at his Presentation in The Temple.  The author felt Anna’s age merited a mention and tells us she was 84. 

That would have been impressive, apart from the fact that we had just presented one of our morning congregation with a basket of flowers to celebrate her 100^th birthday – so, 84 suddenly seemed less worthy of a mention for poor Anna!

Our wonderful centenarian at AFC (to be joined by another come May!) was born in a year that saw George V unveil the newly built cenotaph in London and the formation of the League of Nations, the forerunner of The United Nations. All of this in a year that began the ‘Roaring Twenties’!

It was a joy to celebrate last Sunday and we marked it with a cake after service with everyone singing ‘Happy Birthday’ in the coffee hall.

My friend told me she had received a card from The Queen, and then with a glint in her eye, went on to say she had placed the card from the church next to the one from Her Majesty.  I was so touched by that.  It says a lot about the place of faith and pilgrimage in the life of our wonderful one-hundred-year-old member.

That conversation reminded me of another I had, in a different pastorate, with a lady of senior years.  She was ill and I was at her bedside.  She told me to look above the headboard and pointed to a faded card stuck to the wall.  ‘That’s my church membership certificate from 1937’, she said.  Once again I was touched that such a card had been given so prominent and meaningful a place.

I think both these inspiring saints, who have the wisdom of the years about their judgements, teach us that ‘belonging’ to a community such as the church keeps you young.  Knowing we are not alone, that we walk with fellow pilgrims, well – it helps us to keep going as we value the companionship of each other along the way.