Temporary Tattoos and Promises

Today, my wonderful friends, is Ash Wednesday. You may be reading this regretting the last eight pancakes yesterday (and after all, twenty is plenty). If you are like me, you will already be building a jolly chunky sense of guilt for not having made clear decisions about the forthcoming observance of Lent. 

Well, time to do something about it. Tonight/today sees the Ashing services (for those of us who do things properly that way), and those slightly amusing moments when we all travel home afterwards with our temporary tattoos of varying sizes. For me, I am a great believer in the ash-cross being nothing less than the burn of a branding iron that we carry upon our heads, not willingly or even gladly, but because we must share in the shadow of Christ's own crucifixion. We will only remember that we have a dark charcoal splodge on our bonces after we return home, wondering why the people we have passed in the street looked at us strangely. Good that they did though. They will have noticed our faith in a world where we often have call to conceal it. 

For us in our part of Aylesbury, we will be welcoming our Archdeacon, Karen Gorham, to talk to us on the theme of the anniversary of the King James Bible. She blogs too - and is doing so for Lent. Read her. And so the great observance of Lent commences. For many it will feel like a period of reflective self-chastisement, and for others an opportunity. Lent is perfectly placed in spring that it may be a beautifully hopeful, positive season, not so much the sackcloth-and-ashes-only festival that some would have us adopt. For some it is about giving things up, and that is good. Sacrifice is good. For me, I am one who feels that I should take something new on for the Lenten season, as I will have to make the sacrifice of time elsewhere to make space for it. I am going to read a book [see link below] that an atheist put in my hand (they received it in error in a book delivery - how spooky is that). More reading is a struggle and will demand that I stop for more time in the day. I will also commit to writing two pieces of work that contribute towards my professional development. Laborare est orare, after all. There will be more liturgy of course and the prayerful build up to the Triduum, a matter of some professional pride for us of a catholic disposition. So much to do, such hope for Lent. 

So, you may be giving up the booze, or maybe chocolate. You may be working towards the Tear Fund carbon project or putting time aside. You may still have no plans save for a small awareness that Lent looms. Whatever you are doing or not doing, you will have my prayers. Entered in the right frame of mind, Lent really does have the potential to be the most amazing time for Christians. Good-o!

A good Lent

As a former business manager, I have learned the great benefits to planning in advance of execution (in both senses, often). The path to Nirvana that I used was Appraise, Plan, Execute, Evaluate, and on the whole it worked. On a good day, a project would come to yield with the greatest return, while on others it amounted to 'think up a list, write list, give out the list, screw the list up'.

And so Lent looms, and with it a considerable work-load in terms of written material and all that goes into it. I have Palm Crosses to nuke first, so pray for the safety of my modest abode, dear Reader! In years gone by, Lent has amounted to 'I will aspire to give up booze this year', only to lapse on the first Thurday evening. I have even tried the 'take something on' approach, and one year that amounted to me saying only nice things about people. That one failed too, in an alarmingly short spell of time, and as a direct result of a reality TV show being aired on the evening of Ash Wednesday. That said, I recognise that some things are just plain impossible for me!

Well, I have another crack at the whip, and this year I am in the zone, man! So, in order to pep-up my own Lenten observance, I am going to do something as cringe-worthy as writing a Blog - and that is to create for myself an easy-peasy aide-memoire, using letters to form a word that I will remember: the letters I choose are ELNT (hold on, they spell something else; gimme a moment)

L - Let Go

E - Education

N - New

T - Time

Funky huh?!

L - Let Go: This is the 'give something up for Lent' aspect of the enterprise. Why should I do this? Well, 'cos Jesus couldn't order curry  in the wilderness - I therefore give up takeways for Lent (it will mean that I cook more, save some shekels and will lose some of my bloated gut! Win, win, win)

E - Education: A vital part of Priesthood is the pursuit of continued learning. Lent at the very least should have time set aside for this important work, and this year, the little Blog Lent Course and the learning that it requires will be that facet of my Lenten observance.

N - New: This is the 'take something on' aspect of the Lent thing. This year, and as part of the 'L' element, I will learn how to cook some new meals for my family, as I am the primary cook in the house. I learn, they enjoy, and it is an act of love that is directed in to my family, so therefore a good thing, methinks.

T - Time: All of the above is broadly pointless piffle if I don't add a little reflective time into this. Some valuable time has been gifted to us clergy in our Archdeaconry (thanks, by the way, appreciated). I commit to an hour more a week of reflective time. It isn't much, but believe me, it is 58 minutes more than I devote to it currently.

So, for me it will be (by the Grace of God) a LENT Lent. Even a potato like me will have trouble forgetting that. So, dear friends, as we step forward into another Lent, I invite you to think of ways to make it meaningful for you, especially if (like me) you will be buried under the duty (and joy) of providing Lent for others too!