The season of Lent begins this year on 1 March. Once you’ve peeled your Shrove Tuesday pancakes down from the ceiling (or wherever they landed), you may like to give some thought to how you might live differently during the six-week period between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
The term Lent derives from the Old English word lencten, which simply means ‘lengthen’. This refers to the lengthening of the hours of daylight and to the approach of Spring. By association, Lent becomes a period of preparation for the spiritual life which springs from the central event in the church’s year – the celebration of Easter.
Many Christians keep Lent as a time of focused self-discipline. Intentionally depriving the body of one or two luxuries can be a reminder not to become too attached to them. It can be an expression to God that fulfilment in life is to be found with him. I’m sure there will be a good number who will forsake their weekly luxury hot chocolate with extra whipped cream or seek to reduce the number of hours that they watch the TV, during Lent.
However, Lent needn’t be concerned solely with the discipline of abstinence. More recently there has been a move for people to add positive items into their Lenten mix. Examples might be noting down three things from each day for which we are thankful, making the time each week to call one friend to whom we haven’t spoken in a while, or taking a fifteen minute walk each day to notice deliberately (and be surprised by) the things in our everyday world that we normally take for granted or overlook.
I hope that you enjoy your pancakes at the end of February and that you plan a Lent that will stimulate and inspire you in body, mind and spirit.
Ian Rumsey, Vicar of Bowdon