As I sit down to write this, we are just reaching the end of the first week of Lent.  In our household, Ash Wednesday was not a typical start to the usual season of Lenten preparation, because it was my husband’s birthday.  So we had a day of celebration to make a birthday special in lockdown, and it was singularly lacking in Lenten abstinence but notable for gastronomic highlights at breakfast, lunch and tea!

But then nothing has been typical during these past eleven months, and we have all been finding different ways to mark the passing seasons, the high points and the low points of life events for us and our families.  In our church community we have continued to observe the rhythm of our Christian calendar but we have had to adopt different approaches from previous years because of the pandemic restrictions.  As we embark upon this Lent, what might we find helpful in our Lenten observance?

Firstly, let’s view Lent as a special time to grow closer to God.  This is the purpose of both Advent and Lent, to prioritise time for God rather than simply pushing God into a comfortable once a week slot on a Sunday morning in church.  Perhaps we don’t commit to regular time for prayer each day, and never pick up a Bible to read.  Perhaps we feel we don’t know how to pray, and so have never started a conversation with God.  But this lockdown Lent is the perfect opportunity to experiment with informal prayer and spiritual reflection.  You could attend a Lent course – we have three different courses running on weekdays during the next five weeks which invite you to ‘Come and See’.

Secondly, we could review our weekly and daily pattern of living. Traditionally people have used Lent as a time to give up comforts and treats, but in a year when we have had to give up so much in our daily lives because of Coronavirus, I don’t think that God wants us to make our lives any more demanding than they are already.  So I am not going to give up chocolate or alcohol for Lent this year because these may be good for the waistline and self-discipline but not good for mental health in lockdown.  I will try to go to bed earlier, spend less time sitting at the computer, and read some of the many unread books which continue to pile up in my study.

Thirdly, we might use Lent as a time to support charitable organisations making a real difference in other people’s lives.  Some of us are saving money in this pandemic.  We are not going out for meals, not going on holiday, not driving our cars around which reduces petrol bills, as well as our carbon footprint.  Those of us who are not struggling with monthly rent or reduced income could look long and hard at our finances.  We could consider making donations to support those who are experiencing hardship and deprivation.  We might also wish to support our local church, especially if similar to St Mary’s, it has lost all its income from cancelled bookings and services which are only online.  I remember reading somewhere that the level of giving is a barometer of the spiritual life of the congregation, and while it’s only one indicator of commitment, it shows how seriously we take the Scripture teaching: “For all things come from you, and of your own do we give you.” (1 Chronicles 29:14)

Lent with a difference?  Certainly!  And perhaps we can turn it into a time of growth like never before.

Sarah Bourne, Chaplain for the Arts – 24^th February 2021                 sarahbourne@banburystmary.org.uk