Benefice
Newsletter
17 February 2021
Lent is upon us already – an early start this year as Easter is quite early. When we talk about Lent we often talk about giving up something for Lent. The hardest thing I ever gave up was cheese. Traditionally, Christians are encouraged to fast during this season, but what might that mean? Probably more than giving up our favourite foodstuff. Well, Pope Francis suggested in 2020 a Lenten fast:
• Fast from hurting words and say kind words.
• Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
• Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
• Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
• Fast from worries and have trust in God.
• Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity
• Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
• Fast from bitterness and fill your hearts with joy.
• Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.
• Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
• Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.
I spent some time this week thinking about what this might actually mean for me in practice and it is clear that what seems simple to do is in fact very challenging. But just imagine for a moment what a difference this fast could make to our lives, the life of our church and the life of wider community. Why not give it a try and see?
God bless you
Join us on Zoom on Sunday 21 February at 10:00.
Follow this link, or use meeting ID 851 0522 9638 and passcode 358104.
Rev Paula is live streaming the Ash Wednesday services on Zoom: one at 12:00, another at 19:30. The two services will follow the same order which is attached to this newsletter.
Those who suffer in body, mind or spirit, among them Sue P, Roger P, Richard H, Tim C, Kay G, Oliver D, Cedric G.
The housebound: Ruth S, Margaret O, Diana B.
The Church of the Province of Central Africa; the Porvoo Churches: Peterborough, Meath and Kildare.
If you would like to add a name to our prayer list, please first obtain the consent of the person you wish us to pray for. Then tell Rev Christine whom to pray for and the reason why.
Those whose anniversaries fall on this week: Doris Beatrice Lee, Marjorie Freeman, Byron Robert Falkner, Geoffrey Moore, Annie Kellis, Jean Peploe, Sylvia Irene Carter, Edith Mary Shelford, Barbara Joan Bean, Winifred Elizabeth Windatt, Richard Lane Felstead, Reginald Worley, Keith Tompkins, Kathleen Hanning, Mary Poole, Robbie Adamson, Margaret Bayes, Alan Palmer, Baby Tia Marie Bates, Tony Cuthbert, Mark Leonard Carroll, Winston Holder.