Dear friends,
This week brings us to Ash Wednesday and the opportunity of Lent to give some time to noticing where God is at work in our lives. The gospel we are given in preparation is the story of Jesus' transfiguration, where his disciples are shown, just for a moment, the glory of God overwhelming their "ordinary" friendship with Jesus. Jesus encourages them to hold on to the memory quietly to carry them through the challenges of his journey to the cross and his resurrection, and just perhaps afterwards, to help them grow into the mysterious knowledge that both the cross and his resurrection are also shot through with God's glory.
There are a number of opportunities for marking our Lenten journey this year:
Ash Wednesday:
St Mary's Lynton 22nd February 10.30 am Holy Communion with the imposition of ashes
Lent Growth Group: three meetings with reflection to take home and do in the gaps!
Mondays 3.30pm-4.30pm at the Rectory on 27th February, 6th March and 27th March
We are one of the only countries to call "Lent" by a distinct name (that is not derived from the Latin for 40). It comes from the old and middle English terms for "springtime" : "lencten" and holds within it that sense of the days lengthening and new life and growth stirring, which is what I would like to draw out in our gatherings. (Rowan Willams puts it well in this video:
http://rowanwilliams.archbishopofcanterbury.org/pages/lent-video.html
If you would like a daily course of reflections, this year's Church of England resources sound good:
Our newsletter also has details of Lent lunches taking place on some of the Wednesdays in Lent at Martinhoe.
Let's hold in our prayers all the places and situations in our world that need to feel the presence of God, and seek in our own ways to make that presence known in the way we live.
God bless
Samantha