Before we reach this, however, there comes a time of preparation.  The sombre season of Lent (which actually means “Spring”) reminds us that we can’t always be partying!   Our spiritual lives are dependent on times of quiet and deeper reflecting.  If we fail to do this we can become captive to the superficial spirit of the age.

Because we’re all different, there is no “one way” to nurture our spiritual lives and deepen our relationship with God.  Early Christians prayed for strength and courage. Then the state church composed majestic prayers.  The Middle Ages stressed penitence.  Later, people like Anselm and Bernard of Clairvaux led a rediscovery of God’s love and mercy.  St. Francis of Assisi called forth a carefree joy.  Teresa of Avila and the Quaker George Fox explored silence, whilst Brother Lawrence practised God’s presence in mundane work.  Luther emphasized practical devotion and Calvin stressed the majesty of God.

However, if we do nothing, we will receive nothing.  We may be dependent upon God’s grace for everything, but we keep what we receive through discipline.  The “40 days” of Lent (which doesn’t include the Sundays) give us the opportunity to explore a deeper and enduring walk with God. 

Why not read a Lent book? (of which there are many; eg. Delia Smith’s “A Feast for Lent”, available from Maranatha bookshop, Uxbridge). 

Why not read through Mark’s gospel (16 chapters) & the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes (12 chapters) & the Epistle to the Romans (16 chapters)? – taking one chapter a day will just about work out – and will cover different kinds of Biblical books.

Why not use Christian Aid’s daily “Count your Blessings”? and/or join a Lent home group for 5 weeks? – there will be a special additional one at the vicarage on Thursday evenings at 8.00pm.  Why not come along to a Lent Lunch or two? (see page 15 for details).

This iconic year of 2012 has an obvious Olympic focus.  The Olympic games, which were revived in 1896 in Athens after one and a half millennia, celebrate the kind of achievement that only comes through discipline.  It isn’t enough for the athletes just to be gifted – there are no short-cuts, they have to do the hard training! 

The same principle applies across the board and in the spiritual realm.  No one becomes great without it.  Success – and, strangely, spontaneity – often flows from disciplined practice. 

We tend to find the time for those things we consider to be important.  If our relationship with God is in this category, then Lent is a good time to nurture it.

 with love, Martin