Musings – March 2025
Some of you may have celebrated Pancake Day (technically Shrove Tuesday) as a Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), a chance to overindulge in the rich foods left in the fridge. I hope your pancake tossing did not result in redecoration of the kitchen ceiling!!
As with many of the named ‘days’ across our year, the traditions are old but feel lost in the mists of time. Likewise Ash Wednesday and Lent itself. So how can they help us today?
In the Bible we read about Jesus being tempted in the desert for 40 days … without food! How many of you remembered that part of the story? We all picture the desert easily enough. We all have images and ideas about the Devil, Satan, the Accuser, the Tempter, etc. But why would Jesus do that? It happens before He begins His Ministry, before the teaching, healing, challenging, encouraging, including, accepting, serving of His time wandering round the countryside.
For many of us Lent is a time of abstinence – no chocs, no booze, etc. A time to make up for the forgotten resolutions of the New Year – playing catch up to be ready for the Summer!
Lent is definitely about being ready. Not just for the heart-wrenching drama of Holy Week and Good Friday, the Cross and the Tomb. Not just to build up to the joyous, triumphant climax of Easter Day and resurrection! Being ready every day. Being ready for anything!
We learn both from Jesus’ experience in the wilderness and from His response to the temptations thrown at Him. That is good news!
The fact that Jesus has had a ‘desert experience’ means that He understands our own ‘dry’ times, our own ‘wilderness’ moments. Not geographically, but spiritually. Not physically, but emotionally. Times of grief, isolation, uncertainty, darkness. Not always explicable. Not always escapable. Times we face alone, cannot share with anyone else. Times which test us to our limits.
The temptations which Jesus faced were real – abuse of power, seeking popularity, craving attention. The temptations which Jesus faced were subtle – twisting of truthes to open the door to evil. Jesus responds using words of Scripture, words which re-focus us on God and how He sees us, how He wants us to show our trust in Him, how He longs for us to stay on His Way through life.
The earliest Christians realised the value of being prepared, being ready. Lent arose from a mixture of ideas. The desire to focus, undistracted, on a relationship with God (often in the wilderness, these are now known as the Desert Fathers). The preparation of candidates for Baptism (usually only held at Easter to fit in with the symbolism of New Life). The reality of life during the ‘lean’ times (February & March in Europe) needing discipline and endurance.
God calls us to resist the subtle temptations which so easily take us off His path for our lives.
God asks us to be prepared for anything, every day, by remembering Him and His Love for us.
God wants us to be patient and endure! Not popular things these days with next-day delivery, instant ordering, fast-track credit.
How deep is your faith and trust in God? Deep enough to resist, prepare and wait?
If not, it’s not too late!
Join us to get deeper into Lent. To be better prepared for life, here and beyond!
Are you into Lent yet? In either sense?
May God Bless you.