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Easter is early this year so the season of Lent begins early. Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, is on 9 February. As is our custom during Lent we shall have five Holy Communion services on Wednesdays with an address by a visiting speaker. In addition, our Lent lunches will also take place on a Wednesday and the proceeds this year will go to the South East Asia Tsunami Appeal (as indeed did the collections from our Christmas Carol Service and the Christmas Eve Crib Service).
Lent is an important time in the Christian year. Quite apart from the flippant jokes about what we’re going to give up for Lent, it is the time when Christians try to find a little more time to pause and reflect upon some aspect of life and faith. This year in our Lent meetings we shall be looking at some ethical dilemmas we face in the world of today. Certainly when disaster strikes, as it has in South East Asia, even the most steadfast believers have to try to make sense of such a tragedy within the context of God’s saving purpose. It is clearly not the case that the citizens and holiday-makers in the affected places deserved divine retribution en masse. In the same way, those of us who live in the less volcanic regions are not innocent and virtuous en masse. The tsunami is not surrounded by any sense of natural justice. The matter is made worse by the fact that it is quite impossible to prevent such things. I am sure that members of all religious groups will be reflecting upon these matters as will be the families of victims who have no faith to console them. It is entirely right that this parish, in its own small way, should support the relief operations with generosity and prayer.
A new parish priest has been appointed to follow the Revd John Schild at Kings Walden, Lilley and Offley. It is the Revd Patricia Quint who is leaving her charge at Stotfold after only four years to take on this responsibility. There were other applicants but Mrs Quint was the preferred candidate with the Bishop of Hertford, the Archdeacon of St Albans and the Rural Dean present
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