At the time of writing, we are around halfway through Lent.  The first blossoms are out, the daffodils are appearing and the birds are singing with gusto!  It reminds me how the word “Lent” is connected with spring and therefore with renewal.

The vision prayer of the Diocese of Sheffield includes the words: “Renew us as we make your love known, release us to share freely together in mission and rejuvenate us to be fruitful in your service.”  Lent invites us to be renewed in spirit, to be released from ways that have grown old and unfruitful, and so to become younger once more in our faith and in our service of God and of all God’s people.

I always find it helpful to have a Lenten rule.  There are things I need to fast from.  This may well include sweet treats or something else in which I might be tempted to over-indulge.  More importantly it can mean fasting from time-wasting or dispiriting things, such as too much time on social media.

Lent is likewise a great opportunity to give our prayer life a bit of a boost.  There are all kinds of resources in books, on the internet and in our Mothers’ Union publications that can help.  Perhaps joining in the Midday Prayer on the Facebook page of Mother’s Union might be an opportunity?  The prayer capsule, which will soon visit our Diocese, is another wonderful opportunity to join in prayer with members throughout our land and across the world.

Lent also reminds us about almsgiving: finding space in our hearts to pray for others and to offer some kind of practical help.  Again, Mothers’ Union, both nationally and in our Diocese, supports a number of wonderful causes, aimed at improving the lives of others.  When we give, we also grow in grace.

Lent is not about being already perfect, but about continuing to grow in our faith.  I pray that it may be a time of renewal for all of us as we prepare to celebrate a joyful Easter.

“How silently, how silently,

The wondrous gift is given.”

Those words from the carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem” seem to capture for me something of the nature of this special season.  The hymn was written by a clergyman from the United States in 1868 for his Sunday School, after he had spent the Christmas of 1866 in Bethlehem.

Christmas in Bethlehem even at that time would have been very different from the very first Christmas.  Even so, when we know the presence of Jesus through our faith, we are in touch with the deepest meaning of the season we are about to celebrate.

Maybe Bethlehem wasn’t silent at the time when Jesus was born, any more than our towns and cities are likely to be silent at this festive time.  St Luke’s gospel tells us that there was no room at the inn, which suggests that the city was teeming with people.  Somewhere in the midst of all that hubbub, the Saviour of the world was born.  There was no fanfare or fuss, but just a quiet birth that would have gone unnoticed by all but a few.  Still, we are left in no doubt that this child brought lasting change into our world and into human lives.

Whether your Christmas will be quiet or busy, spent with company or alone, the mystery at the heart of Christmas does not change.  In a noisy and troubled world, the wondrous gift comes to us in the silence of our hearts, just as the carol reminds us. 

We live in a troubled world and many people long for peace.  For us as Christians, Christ is the Prince of Peace.  When we receive that peace into our hearts something of its power begins to radiate for the people around us.

I wish you a joyful and peaceful Christmas.  May Jesus, through his birth in Bethlehem, bring hope to you, to your families, and to the people around you.

Best Wishes     Richard