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.