MISSION STATEMENT OF HEADINGLEY ST COLUMBA
UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
In God we trust — we share His love

Dear Friends,

Miserable Lent or Happy Lent?

Do you want a miserable Lent or a happy Lent?
Recently the Church of England published a booklet with light-hearted suggestions for acts of kindness that Christians could do in Lent. A newspaper article solemnly protested that this was lowering the standards of the past, when everybody had to give up chocolate or other forms of pleasure for Lent. — Not at all: if you want to give up things, nobody is stopping you. Maybe you really do need to diet, or to conquer some addiction: if so, Lent can be very useful as it gives you a target to do it before Easter. But that isn't what Lent is really about. You have a choice: are you going to give up things for Lent or take on good things that you ought to do? Giving up, or taking on ? — the choice is yours. Miserable Lent or happy Lent, whichever you prefer.

It's easy to be miserable. You can have a miserable Lent by concentrating on your own faults. God knows, for each of us there are plenty of them, and they need to be repented of. But that should only take a minute or two when you say your daily prayers, then God forgives them and you can forget them. All you need to do is accept God's forgiveness and go on your way rejoicing.

If you want a happy Lent, however, stop focusing on yourself. Forget the harm you've done in the past, once it's forgiven, and think of your potential for doing good in the future, and then spend time taking on new things you can do for God.

For instance why not use some of the material in the Vision4Life Year of Prayer booklet. Make up your mind that you'll say the Lord's Prayer at least once every day until Easter. But don't just recite it parrot-fashion: say it slowly and think what the words mean. You're never alone when you say the Lord's Prayer, because while you're praying the words, 'Our Father', two billion of your Christian brothers and sisters are saying it with you, a third of the world's population.

Or why not say this prayer as well daily during Lent?

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my ... thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Holy Spirit, fall upon me afresh …
Enable me to do now those things
Which before were impossible.
Lord, may I do something beautiful for you.
Show me how …

I pray that you will be faithful to the Lord Jesus as you journey with him through those forty days on his way to the cross and find through this discipline that your experience will be meaningful and joyful.

Travel well during Lent.