Reflections of Lent
Dear Friends
I wonder what the month of February means for you? Perhaps like me you like pancake day (or Shrove Tuesday) which this year falls on February 21st, the start of Lent, the weeks leading up to Easter. Pancakes with lemon and sugar or chocolate spread are worth looking forward to, I think.
February is the last month of our winter here in the UK, so after this month, there should definitely be a feel of lighter evenings and perhaps some Spring warmth and sunshine. According to Wikipedia, along with January, February was one of the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, as winter was considered a monthless period. It remained the last month of the calendar until around 450BC when it became the second month. Is February for you a monthless period, one of those months to be got through, or is winter one of your favourite seasons? I love the idea of being able to get in my PJs as soon as I get through the door in the evening in the winter nights – in reality that doesn’t always happen, so I also look forward to the lighter days when I can leave the house in the light as I leave for work, and there is still daylight when I return home.
I am writing this at the start of 2023, and like resolutions at the start of a new year, I like to try to start a habit, or give one up for the period of Lent, which is about 7 weeks long, much more manageable than a whole year. In the past I have tried habits such as giving up chocolate or playing fewer games on my phone. I have a book called ‘At Home in Lent’ by Gordon Giles, which looks at 46 familiar objects around the house and gives a short spiritual reflection on each one. One of the things it looks at is a calendar. Do you have one or more of these hanging up in your home, or do you rely on an electronic version on your phone or other electronic device? As we look at our calendars we see the past, the present and the future. We see days to be observed, such as bank holidays or religious festivals, appointments.
Unlike Christmas, the date of Easter changes every year. It is an important day in the Christian church as Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, and in the week leading up to it, the events that happened before the death of Jesus. So Lent gives Christians the time to prepare for Easter, by reading and reflecting. As I look at the objects that are mentioned in my ‘At home in Lent’ book I am reminded of God’s presence with me in all things and in all times. In work on a well-being day at the beginning of the year we did some mindfulness stress relieving exercises, encouraging us to focus on the present, rather than rushing onto the next activity. I am hoping as I work through my lent book and look at 46 different objects, I will be focusing on things around me and reflecting on God through these things, looking at things in a new way.
February could be a time when we look back on those New Year’s Resolutions we made and are pleased with how we are doing (or maybe not). Perhaps this month could be a time for a Lenten turn around to take more notice of things around us, making time for something new in these coming lighter months as we look back on the past and live for the moment and for the time ahead of us.
Perhaps this prayer which is taken from the end of the reflection about the calendar in ‘At Home in Lent’ may be useful for you:
O God, you hold all of dimensions of space and time in your hand. Help me live both for the moment and in eternity, so that whether I am busy or lonely, I may always be sustained by you.
Amen
Rev Ruth Harding, Curate
