One month down already and this year seems to be passing even quicker than the last, seemingly even more hasty as the Church Calendar is soon to change again. From our current season after the Epiphany, we will soon be embarking on the journey of penitence and preparation that we know as Lent. Starting with the Ash Wednesday act of penitence, lent was traditionally a time of preparation for baptismal candidates who would be baptised on Easter Sunday. While we may not be looking forward to baptism, we are preparing for the important spiritual exercise of Holy Week, and the Easter season that follows it and this year I’m suggesting that we consciously think about, reflect on, and participate in prayer. At the Wednesday evening conversation time we shall be delving into the prayer that Jesus led his disciples in when they asked him to teach them how to pray and throughout the lent period and on into the Easter season I am encouraging folk to make use of a book and videos composed by Pete Greig, one of the founders of the 24/7 prayer movement, of which more will follow.
Prayer is something we are all called to do and on which much of our growth in relationship with God depends. Prayers of thanks, of requests for others and for support when those hard times of life surround us are very much part of our journey of faith and yet are often taken lightly or as a cry for help when all else seems ineffective. Many years ago, I saw a poster outside a church in a poor part of a big city challenging passers-bye with “Prayer – spare wheel or steering wheel?” it is a question which has stayed with me ever since and still challenges me today.
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AuthorRev Mike Blake Archives
May 2024
CategoriesScottish Charity Number:
SC011957 |