Journeying through Lent – Vicar’s Letter
Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent, and this year it fell on the 14th February, colliding with St. Valentine’s Day. A timely reminder that if we are to nurture our love of God, we need to renew and refresh our passion for Him, and Lent is good time to do just that. The season of Lent has been marked over the years as a period of self-discipline, fasting and spiritual journeying. It is a period of penitence and self-examination, seeing ourselves from God’s perspective. It is perhaps then not surprising that people don’t always look forward to Lent. Words like sacrifice, discipline and self-denial are often used in ways that suggest that Lent is something to be endured, rather than a time of grace, renewing our love for God and spiritual growth. Thinking about Lent like that gives us opportunity to realign our lives with God’s values, it gives us a prolonged and focussed time to reflect and pray, to read the Bible and deepen our faith. The 40-day period is time enough to build in new habits and actions into our lives, which will have a lasting effect.
With ongoing war in Ukraine, the conflict between Israel & Hamas and so much uncertainty in our world I am finding that there is a great deal of anxiety around about the future alongside many who are wondering without a guide, much fear and anger, and tiredness. Lent gives us as Christians an opportunity to give all these things, and more, back to God, in the hope of asking God to heal and restore all things in Him. It is also, as St. Paul reminds us, a time to recognise that our human experiences are common and that whilst heightened by our personal challenges or world events, are not unique to us but the difference is that our faith will endure (1 Corinthians 10.13).
Have you ever thought of Lent as a yearly second chance? Each year the Church gives us six weeks to take a long, loving look at our lives to see if our values and priorities are in line with God’s desires for us. Since most of us find that we’ve wandered from God’s path, Lent becomes that second chance, or a new opportunity to “return to God with our whole heart” and learn to be God’s people once again. As you journey through this annual ‘second chance’ decide how you will use this time well. Be reassured as we know how the story ends, and that we have an enduring hope within us because Jesus has conquered death and brought forgiveness to us. We are forever Easter people who live in the light of the resurrection, and we can mark Lent because of his sacrifice for us. The rhythm of the spiritual and liturgical year is a helpful tool to remind us that there is a cost and a purpose to our faith, which is not about self-benefit and self-fulfilment but about generosity, servant-heartedness, and a simple, humbler faith.
As Christians, we have a message of hope for a better future and Lent gives us the perfect opportunity to prepare our hearts and minds to share the good news. This year we will be studying together a publication entitled, “Journeying through Lent” to accompany us on our Lenten journey. I hope and pray that this will offer new ways of thinking and bring new meaning to familiar Bible passages, so that, as Sally Welch the editor suggests, “you arrive at Easter refreshed and energised, ready to join in the cry: ‘He is not here. He is risen!’.
Revd. Liz Oglesby-Elong
Vicar of the Parish of St. Andrew, Biggleswade
Lent, Holy Week and Easter 2024
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