Dearly Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Ash Wednesday approaches this week with services at St Leonard’s at 11am and 7pm. The earthy reminder from ashes that we are mortal and will one day return to dust and that we are sinful and in need of a saviour.
On Ash Wednesday, we move into Lent, a season of testing, challenge, waiting, retreat and penitence. It is often linked to the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness as well as the wilderness experience of the Israelites in the Old Testament. But what is Lent and how should we respond?
I have been watching the new Bear Grylls series “Celebrity Bear Hunt” in which a group of well-known people face challenges. The losers of the challenge are sent into the Bear pit where they are tasked with evading capture by Bear and trying to escape. This TV entertainment makes good viewing because of the tasks, trials and people dynamics. It is also interesting to see how the various celebrities shape up under pressure, growing in character, confidence and resilience.
Lent can be viewed as a season of challenge, in which we strip away the distractions, tackle any things that could become addictions, take up new activities in the hope of forming good spiritual habits and through this we strengthen our faith.
That all sounds tremendous, but often Lent comes upon us, too quickly, and we find ourselves unprepared. We have barely eaten the pancakes before we are thrown into the new season. Some folks on the other hand seem organised and ready to enter into Lent, having decided what their challenge will be. Then there are amongst us our dear ones, who are already in a season of challenge, grieving for a loved one, recovering from an operation, facing a tough fight against illness, adjusting to a life changing situation or supporting loved ones through it.
Is Lent all about challenge? At College, I heard an interesting take on the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, which suggested that this time was not so much a challenge, but a joy. After his baptism, Jesus was ‘thrown’ into the wilderness by the Spirit, to spend time alone with God. What a joy for the Son to have time alone with the Father and the Spirit. This habit of retreating to wild places to be with God alone, continued throughout Jesus’s ministry. Taking time out from the normal routines to wait on God, to be formed and prepared for what comes next. My college experience was such a formational time and such a joy. In that sense, Lent too can be a welcome break from the norm if we use it as such. The children of Israel were formed, trained and prepared in the wilderness, changing from a disparate group of slaves into a covenant people. I wonder what God has prepared for each one of us this Lent.
However, you view Lent: challenge, retreat, formation, space, peace. May I encourage you to prepare and commit. There are plenty of resources out there to help you. The Diocese of Chichester and the Church of England produce Lent resources each year, which you can view here:
Chichester Diocesan Lent Course 2025 – I Believe – exploring big themes from the Nicene Creed
Just a reminder that our 2025 Diocesan Lent Course entitled ‘I Believe’ focuses on the anniversary of the Nicene Creed as we celebrate its 1700th anniversary as part of our 2025 Year of Faith.
Five commentators explore big themes from the Creed with bible readings and questions to help individuals and groups.
- The whole Lent Course is now available here
- Individual PDFs of the course are now available here
- Audio versions of the Reflections are now available here
- Podcasts featuring the Bishop and others are now available on our Soundcloud here
Church of England Lent course for 2025: Living Hope – Resources for Lent 2025 | The Church of England
I would love to hear from you about your Lent journey and what you have decided to take up this year: prayer walking, silent prayer, worship inspired by visual arts, meditation on scripture. Perhaps you have decided to give something up for Lent: chocolate, coffee, sugar! Perhaps you have decided on which resources to use – I would love to hear about which resources you have found helpful too.
With love and prayer,
Carole the Curate