Sermon
15th February 26
This sermon is about keeping Lent. This we do with one purpose and for one reason only. During this holy season, we make a special effort to draw nearer to God. We do this by entering more closely into the suffering and death of Jesus, in order that, at Easter, we might share in his resurrection. Some of you will have a tried and tested discipline which you have found suits you: if so, let no-one dissuade you from following this again this year. Others find that they want to do Lent differently, and so we will look at some possibilities.
For many an element of fasting forms part of their discipline: “giving up something for Lent”, be that something like alcohol or chocolate or, as my College Principal always did, mustard and marmalade. If you do this, remember that there are only forty days in Lent. The four days from Ash Wednesday until next Saturday, and then six weeks of six days each: there is no requirement to fast on a Sunday in Lent, as every Sunday remains a feast in celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord.
Another traditional element in Lent is almsgiving. Some folk seek to make an extra month, a 13th payment to each of their regular charities, although that is not always as straight forward in practice as it should be, so others “tot up” what they would normally give to their charities in a month and, additionally, send an equivalent amount to a “one-off” cause.
Then there is study of an appropriate subject, perhaps based on a book produced for this purpose. I know that our study group have already begun this. They are reading Liz Dodd’s “Easter in Disguise” which is the 2026 Bloomsbury Lent book. Liz Dodd is a Catholic nun and former journalist, whose community, the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace, share their home in Nottingham with refugees. Her book seeks to discover Lent as a season of rebellion and liberation, helping to build bridges across communities.
There is also time in Lent to deepen one’s personal spirituality, and our sermons here will consider some aspects of this. We will start with a couple of weeks thinking about personal prayer: next week about formal prayer using given words; and the following week a more informal approach arising out of the various situations which occur in our everyday lives. Then, on the third Sunday in Lent, we will think about reading our bibles, before a break for Mothering Sunday, that mid-Lent relaxation, before we get down to nitty-gritty of Passiontide and Holy Week, which will be our subject on the fifth Sunday in Lent.
Over the next three days, think about how you will keep Lent. I finish as I started: if you have a tried and tested discipline that works for you, stick with it; and remember that there is only one purpose in keeping Lent, to draw nearer to Jesus in his suffering and death, in order that, at Easter, we might draw closer to him in his resurrection.
Amen
