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 you to come to join us for a service on 26 Feb – 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 ‘God’s Amazing and Fragile Creation’.

Nobody but the most ardent climate change denier needs telling that we face an environmental catastrophe of huge gravity – quite simply the most important theological issue of our time. As we keep Lent in a variety of ways, we take the opportunity through addresses, worship and discussion to consider the beauty and diversity of God’s creation and our place within it.

Each talk or service does not rely on being at others, so come to what you can or whatever appeals most.

---

SUNDAYS at 6.30 pm: ALL CREATION SINGS YOUR PRAISE

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’

1 March 8 March 15 March 22 March 29 March 5 April

Stewardship Water Land Biodiversity Dishonouring Creation The Way of the Cross

God’s Creation and why it matters God’s Gift of Water God’s Gift of Land God’s Gift of Animal and Plant Diversity God’s Creation is laid to waste God’s Salvation of the World

---

TUESDAYS at 9.00 pm: PANCAKE PEOPLE

On Tuesday evenings we will gather in the Church and be led in a fifteen minute reflection on the five main natural ingredients we need when we make a pancake and what each might say to us about Christian faith and hope. Each address will be followed by a time of quiet and then the prayerful service of Compline.

3 March 10 March 17 March 24 March 31 March

Flour Salt Egg Milk Oil

---

WEDNESDAYS at 7.30 pm:  PLANTING PARABLES

During Lent we enhance our usual Wednesday Eucharist with a five minute ‘Thought for the Day’ – an inspiring reflection based on a parable about plants and trees that Jesus used in his teaching.

4 March 11 March 18 March 25 March 1 April

Matthew 13. 3-9, 18-23 Mark 4. 26-29 Mark 4. 30-32 Matthew 13. 24-30 Luke 13. 1-9

The Parable of the Sower The Growing Seed The Mustard Seed The Wheat and the Weeds The Barren Fig Tree

---

Churches Together in Redbourn present:

THURSDAYS at 8.00 pm:  ‘EXPLORING THE PARABLES’

On Thursday evenings – in a fun and interactive way that uses different senses and a variety of approaches – we will engage with and explore together the message and meaning of some of the parables that Jesus taught.  In St Mary’s Transept.

• 5 March      The Prodigal Son
• 12 March    The Good Samaritan
• 19 March    The Parable of the Sower
• 26 March    Parables about Judgement
• 2 April          The Parable of the Talents

---

FRIDAYS at 12.15pm: ‘LENT CHARITY LUNCHES’ at Redbourn Methodist Church

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.

6, 13, 20 and 27 March and 3 April

---

And finally, if you want a little something every day to help you to explore our relationship with God’s creation we have copies of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Challenge: Live Lent – Care for God’s Creation.

They are usually £1.50 each but we have a limited number to give away. There are two versions of the book – one for adults and one for children to follow each day – please help yourselves.

Whatever you decide to take up or to get involved in, I hope you have a really good Lent.

Yours in Christ,

Will

Will writes:

The Season of Lent is an important time for all Christians – a time to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, reflection and study, as we prepare for Holy Week and our annual remembering of the Suffering, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For many years now we have offered a full schedule of different services, groups and talks to help us in all of this. Alongside this programme of discussion and worship, we once more want to offer a special opportunity for every adult at St Mary’s to have a 45 minute conversation about their faith.

This year I’d like to offer that conversation to be with me. That isn’t because other members of the Ministry Team were not available or were unwilling to be involved. Not at all. But I am left wondering why so few people have taken up this opportunity in previous years and wonder whether the uncertainty about who you might meet with has been part of that. There can be nothing more important that I do in my working week than to help us as a congregation and as individuals to grow towards God. I’d love the excuse not to be doing paperwork and admin for much of Lent because lots of people have taken up this opportunity to meet and we’re having these conversations!

It is a considerable commitment on my part to do this but I hope it clearly demonstrates just how important I think it is. You might like to talk about what you struggle with about prayer and believing in God. You might like to talk about what is worrying you in your life about family, health or money. You might like to use it to talk about your life and faith journey. Or you might like to use it to ask questions about why we do things in church the way we do and what things mean but never had the chance or the confidence to find out until now.

What I can guarantee is that it will be positive and fruitful, that whatever we talk about will never be shared with anyone and will not be referred to again by me (but you’re welcome to follow it up with me if you want to – but you would need to initiate that), and that there is no such thing as a dumb question, except the one you never asked.

As people of faith, our spiritual health and well-being is something we should take seriously, but often we don’t have the chance to think about our faith and prayer life, or talk it through with someone. Well, we have that chance this Lent with an opportunity for you to talk about whatever you want to discuss in your faith – in total confidence and as a way of being encouraged, listened to and supported in your relationship with God, and without any sense that you’re being judged or tested in some way.

Please fill out the slip enclosed in this leaflet and return it to Church as soon as possible so that I can fix up a convenient time for us to get together over the coming weeks.

Will

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE REPLY SLIP FOR SPIRITUAL SUPPORT