Journey through Lent

Where does time go? It only seems 2 minutes since we were celebrating Christmas. Well - 9 weeks ago in reality. Now we have begun Lent and looking towards Easter. But what does Lent mean in reality to you? A passing attempt at giving up sweets or chocolate? Perhaps looking at doing a Lenten course of Bible study?

In my church, St. Christopher’s C of E, on Shrove Tuesday we remove all flowers and banners and empty the church of all brightness. This is to remember that Lent is a time of reflection on the seriousness of what Jesus faced for the human race. On Maundy Thursday, we have a service of stripping the church, in which all the altar frontals, pulpit falls, and candles are removed, so we can remember the bareness of that Good Friday, when Jesus gave up his life for everyone. Only on Easter Sunday does the church burst into life again. We also keep our Christmas tree and make it into a cross. On Easter Sunday everyone is given a daffodil to place into the wire surround on the cross. Then the cross bursts into life and colour.

Our Muslim friends have Ramadan and we are often amazed at their dedication. We as Christians have Lent, but we do not often shout about this time in our Christian calendar. We should really make more of this and show the secular world that Lent and Easter is a very special time for the Christian Church. We have a wonderful opportunity to show the love and sacrifice that Jesus took upon himself for every human being in this world.

Please do not ignore or waste this time. Let it be a real time of witness and sharing of the Good News that Jesus Christ was born, died and rose again, to give to all who believe in him eternal life. Isn’t that wonderful news to shout about?

There is a Hymn: - ‘We have a gospel to proclaim’ (H&P 465, StF 418). We are to share this abroad.

I hope and pray that as individuals and as Churches and as a Circuit this time will be a time of blessing and growth in our lives.

May you have a blessed Lent and Eastertide.

John W, Pastoral Co-ordinator

Comments

News from Thornton Methodist Church

Like everyone else, we are all trying to get on with life but at times it is not easy and not meeting with all our Church family can be difficult and lonely. Just before Christmas we were having services twice a month but not all people were able to attend which was very sad but we all kept in touch by text/phone it is not quite the same but it is good to talk. During Advent we put a display in the porch window of the Christmas story, adding different characters each week until all figures were assembled around the baby for the community of Thornton to see. All our children in Sunday School received an Advent calendar to let them know we were all thinking of them. We also had a Christingle service but this was very different from previous years. Masks were worn, tables set out at the required social distance and hand sanitizers available in lots of areas. People made their own Christingles from packs but instead of using fruits, wrapped fruit lollipops did the job just fine. Rev. Chris...

Virtual Worship - Easter Sunday 12 April 2020

Today’s the day - everything is changed. Death’s cave is empty, save linen cloth as calling card for Love. That life has won, and hope’s made whole, thank God! Alleluia! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed, Alleluia! Holy and risen Lord, we come to worship you on this special Easter Day. We thank you for all you have done for us. We lift our eyes to honour you, living Lord Jesus. You have overcome death; fill us with your joy and new life. Amen You might like to read, sing or listen to an Easter hymn. Perhaps Christ the Lord is risen today, or Low in the grave he lay (H&P 193/202, StF 298/305). This is perhaps the strangest Easter Sunday we have experienced in most of our lifetimes. Not able to gather as God’s people on this holiest of days. Not able to spend time with family and friends. Not able to visit dale or coast. Yet even as restrictions bite, we affirm God’s love in Christ Jesus, and seek to help each other hear the Easter message. We gather in ...

Rock Solid

Rock Solid is the new youth club for 9-13 year olds at Wilsden Trinity Church . It aims to provide a group for older children to follow on from Wilsden Trinity’s other youth club, Friends and Heroes. Every Tuesday we meet for games, Bible stories, sweets, crafts and chats. Highlights so far include wrapping people up as mummies, making ice cream sundaes, playing Zip Zap Boing (which is as confusing as it sounds), building Easter gardens and making lava lamps. We set aside a good amount of time just for chatting, and each week we have a “Millstone, Milestone” section – each person can say if they’ve had a difficult week (millstone) or a brilliant week (milestone) and why. This has been a platform for many entertaining anecdotes and tales that the group has shared together. Rock Solid started in March 2017, and so far numbers are low. Our small group has fun, but we would love to welcome some new members! All children and young people between the ages of 9-13 can join. It is £2 on the ...

Bradford North Circuit

Search This Blog