Lent
Lent Lily
Lent is a holy season. It gives us an opportunity to put things right with God. It’s an opportunity for decluttering our lives. During this time we enlist God’s help to re-imagine ourselves as better. Less selfish and more compassionate people.
Traditionally Christians have done this by fasting and acts of charity. Jesus recommends that we do both occasionally, without making a public fuss (Matthew chapter 6 at the end of the Sermon on the Mount), the purpose being that our lives become freer and we begin to depend less on doing things that create dependencies and are generally bad for us.
Our PCC has adopted two charities for our St Stephen’s Lent appeal. Both small and effective charities where our small contributions will go a long way:
Welcare is a local diocesan charity who specialise in supporting families in South London with teenage children who need targeted support through crises in family life. The chair of the board of Welcare, who is also a Reader in our diocese will come and preach here on 25 February.
Fikilela is a small charity with whom we have long standing links based on local Anglican churches in Capetown providing support to families affected by AIDS. Our churchwarden Sandra Potter has recently visited their projects, and she will talk about this charity on Sunday 3 March.
Bernhard Schunemann
18 February 2018
