In her reflection last month Christina wrote about how early Easter is this year, and about not being ready! I’m sure we can all empathise with her as we seem to be “hurtling” through Lent on our way to Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter! Early or not, we do have the whole of this month to pre-pare and to get ready – it’s just up to us to make the most of the days and weeks in the best ways we can. People often speak about Lent as a time of “giving up” but increasingly I find that it is being seen more as a time of “taking on” – space for both perhaps?There are, as Christina also mentioned last month, plenty of resources to help us with this (digital and physical), and time is something that all of us can and should think about more carefully, and prayerfully, during Lent and in the approach to Easter. And, as we read, think and talk about, and pray and reflect, on the events of those weeks leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are all I’m sure very conscious of the tragic and heartfelt events continuing to unfold in the Holy Land, affecting Jews, Christians and Muslims – all of us “children of Abraham” and all of us precious in God’s eyes. So many families across that region are affected by suffering and grief, and it is so important that we continue to hold them all in loving prayer, and to do what we can to alleviate suffering and to bring relief to those who are in such desperate need.At Eastertide five years ago now I wrote about the terrible fire which had partially destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and I’m sure we’ve all been aware of the painstaking repair, conservation, restoration and re-building work which has taken place over the last five years. Watching the incredible skill of the craftspeople involved, with their obvious love for the Cathedral and all it stands for, and their pride in their work, has been quite amazing and really uplifting. We were in Paris in the summer of 2019 and of course were unable to get anywhere near the Cathedral, which was completely shrouded in scaffolding – but this year, to the great joy of Parisians and the people of France, and across the world, that scaffolding will be dismantled and the beautiful and historic Cathedral properly open again and able to be visited. Out of such disaster.........On a very personal note, Easter Day this year will be a very poignant time for me as it is the 12th anniversary of my mother’s death – but it will be in the joy of the resurrection that I will be remembering her and giving thanks for her long life and love.“Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed – Alleluia!May God’s blessing and peace be upon you all this month, and especially, in advance, this coming joyful Eastertide – Happy Easter!The Revd Alec Brown.
Dear friends, I am sat at my computer, in front of a roaring fire, gazing on my Christmas tree. We keep our Christmas tree up until Candlemas which marks the end of the Epiphany season and already I am having to consider Lent I am not ready! Easter is early this year and it seems before the crib has been put away, we are moving toward Jesus` death We start February with one of my favourite festivals – Candlemas where people would bring candles into church to be blessed and we remember Simeon and Anna, old people who had been waiting for the Messiah – showing how mightily God moves in older people Then on we have Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on Valentines Day. Shrove Tuesday was the day when people would use up all the scrummy food they still had in before Lent started – in other countries there is Mardi Gras, Carnivals marking Fat Tuesday. What exactly is “Ash Wednesday”? It has its origins in the early Christian Church – In the Bible, ashes were always associated with humility and mortality, fasting and remorse. If you had sinned against God, and you felt remorse, then sometimes, in the Bible, you would sprinkle ashes on your head as a sign of sorrow and repentance – Around the 10th century, all believers showed their need for repentance by having ashes placed on their foreheads in the shape of a cross and as a reminder of baptism. Ashes were supposed to remind you that you were mortal, that you would eventually become ashes after you die. When we impose ashes we say “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return. Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ. “ Humbling words, words to make us think of the brevity of our lives and our purpose here to glorify God in all that we think, say, and do. The ashes on our forehead should be a symbol of what’s going on in our heart, what’s going on in our soul. For every Christian, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the sombre season of Lent. Lent is a forty day span of time from now until Easter. Why 40 days? Right after Jesus was baptised, the Bible tells us that he went out into the desert to fast and to be tempted by the Devil for 40 days. For Jesus, those 40 days were a time of introspection, a time when he battled the temptations of the Devil. For us, Lent is a time when we make that journey with Christ. We think about our temptations, our sins, and we repent. Lent is a time to evaluate ourselves in light of God’s Word. It’s a time to abandon the sins we have grown accustomed to committing in our lives. It’s a time to receive God’s forgiveness and strength to lead a Christian life. It’s a time to renew our desire to serve God, and to be the Christians that God has made us to be. Lent is a time for spring cleaning on the inside. There are so many resources. The Church of England and Chester Diocese have daily reflections. You may give something up and explore something new. There are so many ideas to keep a Holy Lent, pray for people who don't like you, be silent every day, look outside until you find something of beauty, call an old friend, read Psalm 139 everyday but the one thing I don't want you to do is to beat yourselves up if you give something up and don't stick to it. Richard Chartres wrote an article as to why the world needs Lent? He wrote “The whole world needs lent – while millions go hungry others are living in a perpetual carnival without any ensuing Lent” He looked at the damage we are doing to the world in our disposable society with its increasing carbon footprint and obsession with stuff “My prayer for each one of us and our church is that we will use this time of Lent to accept the searing and transforming love of God and by accepting that love, go out in his power to transform our world” Have a Holy Lent. Love Christina
And so to 2024! A number of comments from people over the last few weeks have confirmed my thinking about our arrival into 2024 – how on earth did we get here so soon! Like many people I’m sure, I’m left wondering about what happened to 2023 – it just seemed to go so fast! It was a very busy year in all respects – events and services, both inside and outside the Parish, catching up (still!) with some Covid-19 postponed weddings, School, Deanery and Diocesan meetings and events, summer fairs and, of course, the annual Royal Cheshire Show. And did I mention the Diocesan Vision process – “Casting the net wide?” Perhaps we all need to slow down a bit in 2024, and try to be more conscious of the passing of time – I’ll mention this to Bishop Mark when I next see him! January brings with it a number of services which speak very powerfully to us in this country parish, and as part of the wider Christian community in this country and across the world, starting with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6th (which we’ll be celebrating a day later on Sunday 7th ) and which marks the close of the 12 days of Christmas. The visit of the Wise Men, or Magi, to the infant Messiah in the manger in Bethlehem marks a very significant moment in our faith story, and seems all the more poignant at the moment given the awful suffering and sorrow of both Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land, where peace seems as far away now as it was at the beginning of October. Part of the collection at the Carol Service in December will be going to the UNHCR for its Gaza Appeal, and our prayers are with all those affected by the violence and suffering. A week later, on Sunday 14th , we will be holding our annual Plough Service, which focuses our attention once again on our local farming community and our relationship with the land and its cultivation, and its preservation. In this respect it has been a great pleasure, over the last few months, to have been reading the contributions (Parish Magazine) of local farmer Paul Gerrard, whose family have a very strong connection with the Church, and whose wise words and timely and interesting reflections are greatly appreciated. January also plays host in the liturgical calendar to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, from 18th to the 25th , when we are all called upon to pray for better and closer relationships between the different Christian denominations across our Diocese and world. Please watch this space for news of any special events or services to mark this important week in the life of the Church, which we in this Parish will be remembering at the Evensong Service at Arley Chapel on Sunday 21st . May God bless each one of us as we begin this New Year in His service.
