Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and is a forty day period of prayer and preparation as we ready ourselves for the joy of Easter. There are lots of different ways to approach this season but beginning well is certainly key and so I encourage all of you to come to join us for a service on Ash Wednesday itself.
Then, what comes next is up to you, but we have plenty of things to choose from. The overall theme is entitled ‘Lent with Luke’. Luke’s account of the life and teaching of Jesus is much loved and this is partly because it has a strong emphasis on inclusion for those on the margins on society, and on justice and love. This year, a year when many of the readings we hear in our services are from Luke’s Gospel, seems like a perfect opportunity to look at some of these emphases and at some stories we find only in Luke’s account.
Each talk or service does not rely on being at others, so come to what you can or whatever appeals most.
Will
SUNDAYS at 6.30 pm
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR AND A WHIFF OF HEAVEN
On Sunday evenings we’re going to be worshipping in a reflective way exploring some of the key themes and motifs of the Lenten season by using Ray Simpson’s resource ‘Reflective Services for Lent’
| 10 March
17 March 24 March |
Strip Off
Go Wild Fight Falseness |
31 March
7 April 14 April |
Be Refreshed
Face Suffering The Way of the Cross |
MONDAYS at 12 noon
MAPPING LUKE
On Monday lunchtimes we meet in the Transept and enjoy some friendship and lunch together, sharing a simple (but very delicious) meal of homemade soup, bread and fruit. As we do this we’re going to explore together five episodes in Jesus’ life using an excellent resource called ‘Mapping Luke’. It will help us to come at some familiar stories from a rather different angle and so help us make some interesting connections with other stories in the Bible and connections with other events in Jesus’ life and ministry.
| 11 March
18 March 25 March 1 April 8 April |
|
Luke 2. 22-40 – Jesus is brought to the Temple
Luke 5. 17-26 – Jesus heals a paralytic man Luke 11. 1-13 – Jesus teaches us to pray Luke 15. 11-32 – Jesus tells a story Luke 24. 13-35 – Jesus has supper at Emmaus |
TUESDAYS at 9.00 pm
WHAT DOES GOD’S JUSTICE LOOK LIKE?
On Tuesday evenings we will gather in the Church and be led in a fifteen minute reflection on the five main characters we meet in the story of The Good Samaritan and what each says to us about the nature of God’s justice. Each address will be followed by a time of quiet and then the prayerful service of Compline.
| 12 March
19 March 26 March 2 April 9 April |
An Injured Man
A Priest A Levite A Samaritan An Innkeeper |
WEDNESDAYS at 7.30 pm
THE WOMEN OF LUKE
During Lent we enhance our usual Wednesday Eucharist with a five minute ‘Thought for the Day’ – an inspiring reflection based on a story about some of the women we meet in the Gospel according to St Luke.
| 13 March
20 March 27 March 3 April 10 April |
Luke 7. 11-17 – The Widow & her Son at Nain
Luke 7. 36-50 – A Sinful yet Loving Woman Luke 10. 38-42 – Mary and Martha Luke 13. 10-17 – The healing of a Crippled Woman Luke 18. 1-8 – The Widow and the Judge |
WEDNESDAYS at 10.00am, New Forge Place
‘The Things He Did’
Ecumenical discussion and study group using the book ‘The Things He Did’ by the Bishop of Chelmsford which will be looking at the various things that Jesus did during the last days of his life, what we now call Holy Week. All are welcome.
13, 20 and 27 March and 3, 10, and 17 April
THURSDAYS at 8.00 pm, St Mary’s Transept
‘Making Sense of the Passion’
On Thursday evenings, in a fun and interactive way, we will be exploring how we use the different senses – sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing – to engage with the story of Christ’s Passion, the last days of his life.
14 March Exploring the Senses
21 March The Passion in Art
28 March The Passion in Drama ‘To The Cross’
4 April The Passion in Music – Stainer’s Crucifixion
11 April The Passion in Context – The Passover
FRIDAYS at 12.15 pm, Redbourn Methodist Church
Lent Charity Lunches
On Friday lunchtimes, the Redbourn Churches will take it in turn to provide a simple lunch at the Methodist Church as we share together and socialise. Donations equivalent to the cost of your lunch are invited and these will be given away to the charities we’re supporting this Lent.
15, 22, 29 March and 5 and 12 April
St Mary's Church, Redbourn 