Entering into Lent
Today marks Ash Wednesday - the start of the period of Lent on the Christian calendar. Lent is a time of fasting, prayer and seeking forgiveness representing Jesus’ 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. As we watch the news this week with images from the war in the Ukraine, and the floods in the Eastern states of Australia, it may be easier to connect with the image of being alone and stuck in a wilderness, of being overwhelmed by the elements and the need for forgiveness on earth.
A number of faith-based Justice and Development based groups produce a series of 7 studies during Lent to explore what it means to seek Justice and live out our faith during these times. Here’s a few you might want to connect with:
Common Grace
Seeing Differently
Common Grace is an Australian Christian advocacy group of over 54,000 Christians which advocates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Justice, Climate Change, Refugees and Asylum Seekers, and Domestic and Family Violence.
This is what they had to say about their Lenten emails:
“Every year at Easter, throughout the season of Lent, we reflect upon the sacrificial love found in and through our saviour Jesus' life, death and resurrection.
This Lent, we have invited theologians from across these lands now called Australia to help us to explore how Jesus calls us to See Differently - to see our enemies with love, the stranger with welcome, all creation with care, and the suffering with compassion.
Join us as we explore how Jesus’ sacrificial love, in restoring our broken relationship with God, opens our eyes to Seeing Differently and calls us to act justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with God in today’s world.
TEARFUND
The Way of Love in an Upside-Down World
TEARFUND Australia is a Christian Community Development organisation that works in partnership to end poverty, challenge inequality and build sustainable communities. They are part of the Global TEARfund network.
This is what they had to say about their Lenten series:
In a chaotic and uncertain world, firm paths can be hard to find. But there is a way to walk steadily: a back-to-front framework for an upside-down world. It’s a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, anchored in love, bringing Jesus’ peace and hope into brokenness.
Join us for a seven-part devotional series on the Beatitudes for Lent as we walk the way of love in an upside-down world.
ABM
Repairing the Breach
ABM - the Anglican Board of Missions - is a community development organisation connected to the Anglican denomination in Australia. Their work is built around 5 Marks of Mission:
Witness to Christ’s saving, forgiving and reconciling love for all people
Build welcoming, transforming communities of faith
Stand in solidarity with the poor and needy
Challenge violence, injustice and oppression, and work for peace and reconciliation
Protect, care for and renew life on our planet
Each year they produce a Lenten study and they have this to say about the 2022 study:
'Repairing the Breach' examines what it means to be people of healing in a broken world.
Written by a community of friends for a people of mission - and illustrated with stunning images painted by acclaimed artist, Carol Aust, 'Repairing the Breach' inspires, provokes and cajoles.
All breaches need to be recognised. They need to be understood. It is only in understanding and experiencing the breach that we can begin to see the way it can be repaired. It can be all to easy to see a problem and know how you would fix it. But all problems are complex, and your ‘fix’ or my ‘fix’ might exacerbate the issue, rather than repair. Meeting in the middle of the breach, sitting in the breach in order to understand the perspectives and fears and hopes of those who are most effected by the breach, and then acting together to repair what has been understood….that is the work of relational mission.
This can happen in our own relationships and in our churches. It can happen between the rich and the poor. The powerless and the powerful. The forgotten and the forgetters. It must happen if God’s vision of a reconciled and just world is to be realised."
Full disclosure: I am one of the contributors to this one. And in celebration, I have a copy of the sold-out printed copy to give away. You must be in Adelaide to enter. Send me a reply email, comment on the webpage or comment on one of our social media sites, and tell me what you are hoping to get out of the period of Lent this year.
Books
I have also had a number of books recommended to me for Lent this year, for those of you who might be interested in a theological exploration, rather than a justice focused one. The top three I keep hearing about are:
Are you planning to consider Lent this year? If so, what does that look like to you? Do any of these ideas appeal to you? Why?
And don’t forget to Enter to win “Repairing the Breach” - winners will be drawn from a hat on Friday.
Stacie
