In the Christian calendar, Lent (the weeks leading up to Easter) is an important time. Many Christians use the time to help them concentrate on, or reconnect with, their discipleship. We try and renew our lives as followers of Jesus. This can involve fasting (often ‘giving up something for Lent’), prayer and study, all of which are designed to help us become more aware of the importance of God’s presence in our lives and of how we live our lives as followers of Jesus.

At Central we are marking Lent 2014 with two series of events helping us to consider the meaning we can find in some of the people we read about in the biblical stories of Jesus.

For some years we have run a Wednesday lunchtime series of talks in which a variety of speakers give their personal reflections on a Lenten theme; and that will continue this year, on the theme of People of the Gospels. Talks start at 12.45 with a light lunch available from 11.45.

19th March: David Redrobe (Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire)
26th March: Revd Ian Hill (York Methodist Circuit)
2nd April: Revd Elizabeth Cushion (York Methodist Circuit)
9th April: Fr Richard Duffield (St Wilfrid’s RC Church, York)

This year we will also have a series of discussion/study groups led by a variety of people, looking at People of the Passion. So we can keep it fresh and share the load they’ll be held at different times and in different places. For details of the venues please see the publicity in church; here are the times, the themes and the leaders:

Thu 13th March at 7.30pm: Mary and the disciple whom Jesus loved (Revd Christopher Humble)
Tue 18th March at 7.30pm: Pilate (Revd David Wilkes)
Thu 27th March at 10.30am: Paul and Christ crucified (Deacon Cedric May)
Fri 4th April at 7.30pm: Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea (Paul Carter)
Thu 10th April at 7.30pm: The woman who washed Jesus’s feet (Hilary Blake)

To mark the beginning of Lent there will be an Ash Wednesday service of Holy Communion with imposition of ashes led by Revd Christopher Humble at 12.45pm on Wednesday, 5th March.

On Saturday 25th January 2014, Central will be open for anyone to come in and have a look at our building and have a chat with some of us.  This is officially part of the York Residents Festival (and the inside of our chapel is usually a wonderful surprise for residents who visit during the festival) but actually we don’t mind whether you live in York or not.  No need to show a YorkCard or anything: just come along and say hello.  Pop in any time between 11am and 4pm.

In previous years we’ve had organists playing our spectacular pipe organ to entertain visitors; this year for the first time you can have a go yourself!  Under supervision you’ll be able to try your hand at what’s probably the biggest musical instrument you’ll ever get to play.  Click here for more information about our organ.

See you there!

If you have a smartphone or tablet computer you can download an app called York Churches.  The app has been produced by the Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture at the University of York and contains all sorts of information about the historic church buildings in the centre of York.  One of the highlights of the app is a panoramic photograph of the interior of the main space in each church which you can scroll around and click for more information on points of interest.  Only a few churches have so far been included in such detail and Central is shortly to be added to the list.  We were pleased to welcome the team from the Centre who came yesterday to see our building and take the photographs in preparation for the panorama.

Setting up the camera in preparation for the panorama

Look out for more news when we appear in the app itself.

Our carol service this year will be on Thursday, 19th December at 7.30pm.  If you’re in town shopping, why not take some time to rest and enjoy carols old and new in our chapel lit by candlelight?  There’ll be refreshments available beforehand and if you need to arrive late or leave early that’s fine.

Beneath the paper wrappings, there’s an open stable door
beneath the fir tree trappings, there’s a welcome and there’s more…