Hello Lent

This month's photo was taken in St Sebastian's Churchyard. We were blessed to recieve a grant from South Kesteven District Council to buy more bulbs to enable the Churchyard to be a haven for people and wildlife. In the next few years, once they establish, it should be a wonderful place to walk. Many thanks to Philippa for all her hard work.

We might be tempted to think that participating in Lent is old fashioned or a bit stale!

But Lent is a wonderful opportunity to deepen our relationship with God, to root our spirituality in new ground! All of which transform our faith life and relationship with God.

Lent has three ways to promote transformation: fasting, prayer and almsgiving. You may have well loved traditions for Lent or why not try something new, it may have surprising results that bring a new dimension or freshness to your relationship and faith in and with God! In short, they have the potential to transform!

As we count down to Lent, each Sunday there will be fresh information. This week let’s think about ……..

Prayer

I find this quote by Charles Spurgeon’s about prayer challenging:

“I know of no better thermometer to your spiritual temperature than this, the measure of the intensity of your prayer.”

Sometimes our prayer life gets tired and sometimes we lose faith in prayer. But Prayer is our communication with God. If we don’t ask, we won’t get! If we stop talking to our loved ones and friends, the relationship flounders. Lent is a chance to try something new or just to make a change for a few weeks.

So this Lent why not try:

Evening Prayer-this year we have the chance to pray together from Monday 10^th March to Wednesday 16 of April. We will meet on ZOOM, on Monday through to Thursday (so you can join wherever you are!) at 6pm and pray to 6.30pm. Each week will have a different style of prayer from Common worship to Celtic to Taize or Lectio 356, which is based on Ignatian Spirituality! Each Sunday the link for the week will be emailed to everyone. Do join us whenever you can!

Talking of Ignatian Spiritualty!

On Sunday 9^th March at 6pm (in a warm Church) we are delighted to Welcome Rev’d Canon Andrew Hawes who will be teaching is about The Examen

There is no charge!

Come if it’s new to you, come if you are looking for a deeper connection to God, come if you used to practice the Examen and want fresh inspiration.

Also available from the National Church

Daily reflections via Everyday Faith app: You can read and listen to daily Lent reflections from 5 March through the Everyday Faith app, the new daily devotional app from the Church of England, which is available to download here.