My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Here we are on a Lenten journey together and it is pretty busy is it not? Since our wonderful Christmas and Epiphany seasons life has been gathering pace at the Cathedral it seems to me, and I find myself looking forward to our Lenten walk. Now lest you think that the two floods we have had since Christmas have softened my brain, let me explain. I really appreciate the Lenten journey as a time to refocus and reassess my own spiritual life. As with other journeys we take we are going somewhere, this is not a period of aimless wandering. We are fully equipped with a map and a guide – Jesus Christ himself, and we travel together we have ‘fellow travelers on the road”.
Part of the Lenten draw, I believe, is this season's underlying message of renewal. The season reminds us that it is never too late to start over again. It is never too late to turn things around. And so we delight in particular Lenten disciplines that help us in this journey, prayer, fasting, study and works of love. On Ash Wednesday many of us heard these solemn words: "I invite you, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word." This is not an invitation to do something unusual or extreme or to leave daily life behind. It is an invitation to train ourselves by the classic spiritual disciplines, so that our eyes can learn to see what is already there. In this renewal our faith is strengthened and enriched. Lenten disciplines are good for us. As a church we look for personal and intentional renewal and celebrate Lent as a time to grow ever closer to God.
I am reminded of a song I heard, written by Steve Bell (he wrote the Sanctus we often use at 9.15), and it talks about recapturing that first spark and excitement of faith. I think that that is what our Lenten journey does for us. As we journey deeper and deeper with Christ we become even more aware of the presence and promise of God and find new joy and hope as we approach the Easter gospel.
I leave you with these words of Steve Bell
Judge for yourself how great is the one
Who lives in God - whose God is love
Like an iron when left in embers bright
Everything is fire - everything is light
Oh Love, how beautiful You are
Oh flame of joy within my heart
Burning ember, I remember Love’s first light in me
I was cold then
Like a stone when I saw Your flickering
Oh what beauty as You drew near me
I could scarcely speak
Somehow I knew, I would be new in your glowing
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