Lent 2023
Lent, as always, gives us opportunity to take stock, reflect, pray, and undertake a discipline which enhances our Christian life for an intentional period. At St John's we plan to mark Lent in a variety of ways and invite all members of the community, and beyond, to join us in any or all of what we hope to offer. For a summary of what this Lenten season is and some of its meaning, please click here.
Lent, will, of course, become our focus for our shared worship together, on Sundays at 8am, 10am, and 4.30pm, and in our Midweek services on Wednesday at 8am (Simple Eucharist) and Thursday at 12.30pm (Meditative Eucharist) as well as our Daily Prayers online at noon, posted on our Facebook Page.
During this Holy Season we will also be having a service of Compline, or Night Prayer, at 9pm on Thursday evenings, from 23rd February through 30th March held via Zoom and Livestreamed on the St John the Divine Facebook Page. For a Zoom link please email Alastair, they will be sent out nearer the time.
From Ash Wednesday, February 22nd, until Easter Day, April 9th, we will have Reflections on our Daily Blog here on the website with the theme 'Glimpses of God' - where members of our community are invited to share a short reflection of a place, or time, or piece of music, or art, or elsewhere, where they have felt a sense of the Divine.
We will be working through a Lent Book together, by Bradley Jersak, a Canadian Theologian who is considering the 'What Next' which happens beyond the Deconstruction of our faith which so many of us have undertaken as part of our spiritual meanderings. More details of that book will be posted soon, it is possible to purchase a copy using the link above, or via the St John The Divine Office, contact details here.
We hope to discuss this book over soup on Wednesdays at 12.30pm in the church meeting room, the Denson Lounge. We will also have an online discussion group on Thursday Evenings from 7pm - 8.45pm which will leave time to join Compline at 9pm. Details and links will be made available nearer the time. Email Alastair for the Zoom link.
As well as this there will be special services for Ash Wednesday, as well as Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Details of those services will be in separate posts.
We hope also to open the Church for times of quiet, reflection, prayer, or simply to explore the space, though this is dependent on volunteer Stewards being available to do so. Details of this will be shared separately also.
Blessings on your journey through this holy season.