From our Minister - March 2010

  All of the month of March this year is within the season of Lent.  However, I wonder what that might mean for those who are not closely connected to the church in any way.  Does Lent have any meaning or any relevance to the world beyond the walls of the church or the lives of the committed Christian?

  Like so many other Christian Festivals and Seasons, some of the distinctiveness of Lent has become eroded.  Once it was the only time during the year in which Easter Eggs or Hot Cross Buns could be spotted in the shops.  Now Easter Eggs quickly replace the Chocolate Santas and Hot Cross Buns are like Strawberries - on the shelves all year round!

  And yet I think that the world actually needs Lent more than ever.  Following the celebrations of Shrove Tuesday and Mardi Gras, Lent is a season associated with fasting and confession.  It is a season of personal reflection and preparation for the great spiritual roller coaster of Good Friday and Easter.

  As we continue to see the gaps between the wealthy and the less wealthy, between the strong and the weak, widening rather than narrowing; as the hostility between faiths and nations continues, we need to be challenged.  As a society we need a time when we pause and look at ourselves and the way in which we live in this world.

  We need to ask ourselves - is having more always better?

  We need to ask - whose needs really matter, mine or those around me?

  We need to ask - in my relationships and dealings with others, what should I be doing better?

  We need to ask - what is my relationship with God, does it need refreshing?

  It is likely that we are not going to like the answers we reach.  We will realise that in many ways we are falling short of our ideals and God's ideals.  We are going to be confronted with the need to confess and seek God's forgiveness.  That after all is the purpose of Lent as we prepare for Easter!

  By reflecting in this way, we realise the necessity of the mission that Jesus fulfilled by carrying the sins of the world on his shoulders on the cross so that we can be forgiven.  As we celebrate his Resurrection we are encouraged by its message of Hope and the availability of the gift of a new start that God gives us through it.

  Lent is the season that we all need.  I hope we are all using it wisely

Graham Clarke