You’ll have heard me say before that I think Lent is a much better time to make changes and start new resolutions than January and New year, when we’re all feeling tired and its cold, dark and wet - as January this year certainly has been. But by February the days are getting longer and there is hope around. And ‘Lent’ means ‘Spring’!
However I did make one New Years Resolution that so far I’ve kept. I was fortunate in being brought up to read a portion of the Bible every day which is still very important to me - and increasingly so the older I get. But over the years I have also read ‘The Bible in a Year’ in various forms, and having not done this for a few years decided to do it again during 2024, especial as I am away for nearly 3 months extended Study Leave after Easter.
Lent begins early this year as Easter is early (31st March), so 40 days before Ash Wednesday falls on Valentine’s Day – 14th February. What a great day to remember God’s great love for us in giving His Son our Saviour Jesus Christ even to death on the cross and to raise Him from the dead on Easter Sunday which gives us a true hope for eternal life!
So once again we are offering two Lent Groups for the weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
Tuesday afternoons at Ravensden starting 20th February we are looking at ‘Magnificent Jesus’ and Thursday lunchtimes at the Chequers Pub at Keysoe starting 22nd February ‘Glimpses’ of God’. For more details, dates and times see inside this newsletter and posters and flyers around our churches.
It occurs to me the best resolutions are the attainable ones. SMART goals are ‘Specific’; ‘Measured’; ATTAINABLE’; ‘Realistic’; ‘Timed’. Because I have always made time to read the Bible each day, reading more of it each day isn’t too great a goal for me. If you have always made time to go to church - even if not every week - and to pray, giving an extra couple of hours each week in Lent need not be too great a goal for you.
Why not give it a try and do something really positive for Lent – which isn’t so much about ‘giving up’ but ‘taking up’ some new challenge.
With my prayers for a peaceful and fulfilling Lent.
Timothy Wilson