Thoughts from The Vicarage with Ash, ideas and a special poem
Greetings on Ash Wednesday – a day earlier this week to share the beginning of Lent. Please find attached Pews News. Please do come back if you need anything – no query too small!
Following on from last week’s ‘What is Lent about?’ here are some ideas around how to keep Lent well …
Maybe take something up for Lent, like reading the Bible every morning, or coming to Morning Prayer online or in person, or joining one of the Lent discussion groups, or walking instead of driving.
- Some people give something up for Lent, like alcohol or chocolate. Sometimes people gather the money they save in Lent and donate it to a charity like the Church or Christian Aid.
- Some people use Lent as an incentive to do things they have always meant to do like mending a relationship or joining the gym.
- Some people commit to do an act of kindness every week- writing a letter, sending a flower, making a donation, sending a gift to their GP surgery etc.
- Read a favourite novel again, listen to a piece of music which brings you close to God every week, visit an art gallery, go for a prayer walk .. walking the Stations of the Cross.
- The Church of England’s small Lent Book for 2024 is called Watch + Pray and it looks excellent. I have 4 copies left (£2.50) We have three discussion groups meeting in the Valley throughout Lent from the 20th of Feb.
- Sign up to free daily Lent reflection emails (except Sundays) straight to your inbox from today Ash Wednesday (14 February) to Easter Day (31 March).
You can also purchase print booklets of the reflections or find out more about the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book 2024 which inspired this year’s reflections. There is a useful reading plan for reading the book: Tarry-Awhile-Reading-plan.
The Lenten discussion groups are open to all and will meet weekly;
- 2pm from Tuesday Feb. 20th at Christine’s home 07801 096345
- 7.30pm from Wednesday Feb 21st at Ruth’s home Meridian Stables 07720 439733
- 9am from Saturday Feb 24th in St James Eastbury with morning prayer at 8.30 followed by breakfast. If you’d like breakfast, please phone Jan & Paul Reynolds on 01488 71001
Looking further ahead:
- March 1st World Day of Prayer from the women of Palestine St Michael’s
- March 29th Good Friday walk of witness and Faure Requiem St Michael’s & All Angels
- March 31st Easter Day
- August 17–25 trip to Taize in France this summer led by Bishop Olivia (financial help available). Please do be in touch with Bishop Olivia if you have any questions – you can email her at bishopreading@oxford.anglican.org.
Thank you to those who’ve been in touch about taking up new things or letting go! It gives me great joy to hear people speak of how God is at work in their lives and a desire to support our Valley churches – I’m truly thankful! It’s not too late to look around and think about what you want to do and how to rebalance things. In particular, if there is anything you have sometimes thought you would like to get involved with do speak to Julie or Christine to find out more. .
And finally, A slightly longer than usual poem from Jan Richardson is attached with the Pews News.
Blessing The Dust by Jan Richardson from Circle of Grace
All those days
you felt like dust,
like dirt,
as if all you had to do
was turn your face
toward the wind
and be scattered
to the four corners
or swept away
by the smallest breath
as insubstantial—
did you not know
what the Holy One
can do with dust?
This is the day
we freely say
we are scorched.
This is the hour
we are marked
by what has made it
through the burning.
This is the moment
we ask for the blessing
that lives within
the ancient ashes,
that makes its home
inside the soil of
this sacred earth.
So let us be marked
not for sorrow.
And let us be marked
not for shame.
Let us be marked
not for false humility
or for thinking
we are less
than we are
but for claiming
what God can do
within the dust,
within the dirt,
within the stuff
of which the world
is made
and the stars that blaze
in our bones
and the galaxies that spiral
inside the smudge
we bear.
It would be a delight to see you 7.30 St Michael & All Angels later today, Ash Wednesday.
God bless
- Julie
20240218