Hillside Parishes Magazine
Hillside Parish MagazineMarch 2009From the vicar It is the season that the Church calls Lent, the time when we get ready for Easter. In the early Church Easter Day was the time when new Christians were baptised and Lent was, for them, a time of reflection and preparation. So it has become a tradition in the Church to use this time of the year to offer house groups and study courses. In all of this there is a close connection with the forty days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness, preparing for his public ministry. This is where the idea of fasting in Lent comes from, of giving up something as a way of identifying with Christ and developing self discipline. Perhaps something unnecessary or potentially dependency-creating such as alcohol or chocolate, or a habit or an aspect of personality or behaviour which is unwholesome. Now fasting can be both a positive and a negative experience. If it is enlightened by a vision which goes beyond itself it can be spiritually beneficial, a really good experience which allows Lent to be a valuable time of greater self knowledge and growth towards God. However if the fast develops into a battle of wills or physical or mental torture then it is difficult to see how it can become life giving. Years ago I had a friend called Phil who used to claim that when you were fasting in Lent (in his case he was giving up alcohol!), Sundays don’t count. So each Sunday he would break his fast and have what he called “a day of refreshment”. “We talk about the forty days of Lent”, he would argue, “but when you count them all up there are nearly fifty.” You can see his point because Lent begins on the 25th March and Easter Day is on April 12th which is forty seven days later! We never did come to a conclusion but this conversation reminds me that when we think about fasting in Lent perhaps we should also be thinking about feasting as well. Of course feasting, like fasting, has its dark side:- over indulgence, desiring something for its own sake rather than for what it has to teach us about God and ourselves, and so on. However the idea of “taking something on for Lent” seems just as appropriate as making acts of self-denial, particularly if it helps us to focus positively on God or to understand more about Christ and his Passion. So what could we feast upon? There are Lent Groups and a series of talks advertised elsewhere in the Magazine and to add to them here are some ideas I found on the internet: Fast from judging others...feast on Christ dwelling in them. Fast from emphasis on differences...feast on the unity of life. Fast from apparent darkness...feast on the reality of light. Fast from thoughts of illness...feast on God's healing power. Fast from words that pollute...feast on phrases that purify. Fast from discontent...feast on gratitude. Fast from anger...feast on patience. Fast from pessimism...feast on optimism. Fast from worry...feast on divine order. Fast from complaining...feast on appreciation. Fast from negatives...feast on affirmatives. Fast from unrelenting pressures...feast on unceasing prayer. Fast from hostility...feast on nonresistance. Fast from bitterness...feast on forgiveness. Fast from self concern...feast on compassion for others. Fast from personal anxiety...feast on eternal truth. Fast from discouragement...feast on hope. Fast from facts that depress...feast on truths that up lift. Fast from lethargy...feast on enthusiasm. Fast from suspicion...feast on truth. Fast from thoughts that weaken...feast on promises that inspire. Fast from shadows of sorrow...feast on sunlight of serenity. Fast from idle gossip...feast on purposeful silence.” So I hope you will have a good Lent and will be well prepared to share in the keeping of Holy Week and Easter. With my prayers Ian Houghton
The magazine of the parishes of Boltby, Borrowby, Cowesby, Felixkirk, Kepwick,
Kirby Knowle, Knayton, Leake & "The Siltons". Also circulated in
Upsall, Thirlby & Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe. |
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