Lent

At the time of writing this update, the season of Lent is well and truly underway, having started on Wednesday 1st March (Ash Wednesday).

In the Western world, a significant number of us may have started this day by ensuring our first words (of the day and month ) were "White Rabbits", in the hope that this would ward off bad luck or ill fortune for the coming month.

For Christians, the 1st of March signified something entirely different. As Ash Wednesday, this day marked a time to begin our preparations for Easter, through committed and focussed activities of reflection, penance and prayer. It is a time of looking forward to the good news of Easter, rather than a time of hoping to avoid something bad.

Lent is a time to remember how Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan, and experienced sufferings exacerbated by the limitations of being human: thirst, hunger, cold, tiredness.

By reflecting on this very human and humbling experience we come to realise the magnitude, magnificence and ultimately the divinely super human condition of Christ.

The house group has started working through a Lent course entitled Everyday God, which helps us to get to know God in our everyday lives and deepen our Christian faith, as part of our own personal preparations for Easter .

It recommends daily bible readings and also a daily prayer schedule so that we may focus on being mindful, prayerful and worshipful of God at all times.

The first session looked at the following passage from Mark 1:9-15, which illustrates Jesus' baptism and withdrawal into the wilderness.

9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ 12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild
beasts; and the angels waited on him. 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’

Now I suspect most of us won't have had to endure 40 days alone in acrid desert or barren land. However it is likely that for the majority of us, we will at some point in our lives, endure a period of personal wilderness. This could be a time of divorce, bereavement or even just losing our way in life and what we hope it to be.

As we reflect on what the bible tells us about Christ's time in his wilderness, let us also think about our own situations, past or present.

• What do you think Christ was thinking and feeling at this time? What were/are you thinking or feeling in your own time of need?
• Do you think God was with Jesus in the wilderness? Did/Do you feel alone or were/are you aware that God was present and keeping you afloat throughout the time?
• How was Jesus affected or changed by his experience? What about you?

Of course I don't have any answers to how Christ was truly feeling or what he was thinking at this time; only He knows that. However I can hazzard a guess, that in addition to hunger and thirst, he may have had human moments of fear, doubt or even questioned his very purpose of being.

What I am more certain about is that Jesus was never truly alone during this time ; God was ever present with him as He is today with you.

I'm also certain that Jesus spent his solitude in reflection and prayer for strength, guidance and resolution to his wilderness.

I mentioned earlier that Lent is a time to remember Jesus' sufferings in the wilderness; the things he went without, things he was deprived of. One way of helping Christians achieve a sense of this, is to abstain from things which are pleasurable to us and which typically play a big part in our lives:

Chocolate Television Alcohol

However, as with New Year Resoultions, this can sometimes be difficult to achieve and just lead us to a sense of failure. If you are feeling this way but still want to commit to the rememberence and worship of Jesus, why not try an alternative approach and introduce something into your life rather than remove something.

Why not introduce the committment of praying daily to God or reading a passage from the bible daily.

By doing this you too would come to know God through prayer and worship , and know He is with you daily, inviting you to follow His way out of your wilderness.

Welcome

Welcome to this new Blog.

I have to admit that as a slight techno-phobe, using this method of communication does not come easy! However if Jesus can stand on the Mount and deliver his message to thousands, surely I can embrace 21st century technology in worship of him, to share what his teachings mean to us in the housegroup, with you.

I hope that you'll find something of interest, where-ever you are in your walk with Christ. But if you find you're wanting to know more about Christ and his teachings, or are interested in joining a house group or attending an Alpha course, please contact your local church for further details.

Finally, some of you might be reading this by fluke of curiosity and doubt that Christ is of any relevance to you. To that I would say ,that I too have been at that point and would never have seen myself embracing God or being embraced by God.

If in doubt, consider this passage from Matthew 11: 28-30

"Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle, and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

What an invitation for those of us suffering the 21st century - be it the technology or just everyday living.

With God's blessings to you all.