The Assistant Priest Writes... February 2008
Dear Friends,
To give up or take up?
“Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t. I’ve given it up for Lent.” Such will be the somewhat virtuous reply from some of us as we are offered biscuits or alcohol or, in my case, chocolate for the next six weeks or so. But what exactly is the point of giving up anything? Does it make any of us better Christians? Would it not be better to take something on, rather than give it up?
Lent, as we know, is the forty day period before Easter, excluding Sundays. It’s called Lent because that is the Old English word for spring, the season of the year during which it falls. Why forty days? Forty days is the traditional number of discipline, devotion and preparation in the Bible. For example, Moses stayed on the mountain of God for forty days (Exodus 24: 18 and 34: 28), Elijah travelled for forty days before he had his vision (1 Kings 9: 8) and Nineveh was given forty days to repent (Jonah 3: 4). There are many other examples, the best known of course, being the period that Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness prior to beginning his ministry. Lent as we know it originated in the fourth century of the church, being a time of preparation for those who were to be baptized, but also a time of prayer, fasting and self-examination for members of the whole Christian Community enabling them to focus on the need for repentance as they prepared to celebrate God’s marvellous redemption at Easter. Beginning on Ash Wednesday the observance would begin in a way that is familiar to many of us with the imposition of ash on one’s forehead as a sign of humility before God, a symbol of mourning and sorrow at the death that sin brings into the world.
Does this observance of abstinence have any relevance today? Yes! By denying ourselves something we enjoy, we discipline our wills, so that we are not slaves to our passion. The denying of pleasure is only the means to an end, however. By disciplining our wills to refuse pleasures when they are not sinful, a habit is developed which allows the will to refuse pleasures when they are sinful. And we can turn this denial into something really positive by saving the money we would have spent on the pleasure and giving it to some charitable cause.
There are other ways to observe Lent. One is to join a Lent group. There are details of various groups elsewhere in the magazine. Or maybe if it not already your practice to read a portion of the Bible daily, Lent is a good time to begin. There are varied Bible reading notes to help our understanding of what we are reading available at Market Place Books. Why not go and have a browse? Or again – why not plan to read a couple of Christian Books. Both St George’s and St Oswald’s have lending libraries with a good selection of books.
The main thing is that we really use Lent to draw closer to God, to respond afresh to his presence in our lives and in the world and to allow his transforming grace to work in us.
And finally ….
Four year old Ben had been settled down for the night when his parents heard hysterical crying coming from his room. On rushing in to investigate they learnt that Ben had swallowed a penny and was sure he was going to die. His father had a bright idea. In an attempt to calm his young son, he surreptitiously took a penny from his own pocket and pretended to pull it out of Ben’s ear. The youngster was delighted. Snatching the penny from his father he excitedly swallowed it and shouted, “Do it again, Dad”.
With love and best wishes,
Jean
