As we prepare for the season of Lent, I began thinking about and reading up on the traditional practices of - prayer, fasting and alms-giving. Since childhood, I took the view that the Church's pressure to fast and give alms was unkind because I saw so many hungry and sick people doing without the little they had to survive on in order to fast. I also saw people getting into debt with the "tally-man" in order to give alms to the Church. As a child this all looked wrong and I could not accept that a good God would want this. So, when I grew up and was called into ministry, I have favoured and encouraged the more modern Lenten alternatives of taking action to enhance our prayer lives, giving up something other than food or taking up something extra, plus doing something positive for or giving up something other than money for the benefit of others. This week of reading was enlightening because as I read what theologians from down the ages have written about traditional Christian Lenten Practice, I realised that they were probably reasonably well fed and comfortable. So I could see that their message and teaching was fit for themselves and other well off people. However, what they said had been used to create a terrible burden for those that were sick, starving or poor! So, for the first time I feel vindicated in my lifelong conviction that the Lenten Fast needs to be interpreted flexibly to maintain the spirit of the practice rather than the letter of it. For surely all of us can enhance our prayer lives by beginning to pray regularly for the first time, by increasing what we pray about or how long we pray for, or by praying at times, in places or using words that are different to our usual pattern. Then for those of us with capacity to fast maybe we should be looking to fast from things we do to excess - such as gaming, internet, social media, shopping, to name but a few of the things that distract us from God and the world. Then when we think about giving, maybe we ought to think about giving in accordance with what we have available to share with others, such as time, gifts, skills, love, care, attention, support, etc. For, in this way we can all participate appropriately in Lent - without some of the inherent problems of the traditional Lenten Fast. So armed with these thoughts, I have now adapted what I am doing this year to make a more appropriate Lenten commitment, for me. I hope you are inspired to draw close to God over the 40 days and nights of Lent, make an appropriate Lenten Fast and give in accordance with what you have a surplus in. Lucy (Parish Priest)