In this year's Lent Message from Bishop Martin, he encourages us to use Lent as a time to reset and refocus on God through prayer, fasting, and acts of kindness.
As we enter Spring and Summer, the bird song you hear changes ready for the breeding season. And as we approach Lent and Easter, it’s a chance for us to reset our tune, to change our tune and focus again on God.
We do this traditionally in three ways. Firstly, through prayer – you might like to use the daily prayer app from the Church of England on your smartphone or computer. Or Lectio365 which has short, simple, reflective prayers for morning, noon and night.
Secondly, fasting. By tradition we give up something in Lent, perhaps a meal once a week or perhaps a particular kind of food, just to cleanse our bodies and also to revive our prayer life as we think about those who are going hungry at this time. Or you may want to have a digital fast and give up something that you spend far too much time on – scrolling on your phone, or whatever it might be.
And thirdly, we think of acts of kindness, or acts of giving. You may want to do all kinds of things, including perhaps considering supporting this year’s Lent Appeal for Morogoro in Tanzania, our link diocese. Money raised will go towards a scholarship fund for students at Morogoro Bible College, supporting catechists, evangelists, clergy going out in Tanzania to plant and develop churches. They get such a good training there and the appeal is a chance to encourage them.
So please do give generously as we pray, fast, perform acts of kindness this Lent.
Bishop Martin
