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Lent Reflections 2021

Journeying with Jesus to the Cross


Sunday February 21st through to Sunday March 28th
Online Reflections Go Live at 7pm
Part of Fitzroy Together


Dear Fitzroy

Welcome to Lent Reflections 2021.

This year, more than most, we need something that reminds us of the joy of being part of our church family. And so our Lent programme this year, is part of a bigger initiative, Fitzroy Together, an opportunity during these weird days of lockdown, to engage with one another through various online events.

The Lent reflections, will involve around 30 members of our Church family: we say a huge thank you to this great group of people, who will bring to us their own discipleship experience as it relates to their theme.  And so each Sunday evening, we can all tune in at 7pm, and enjoy listening to readings, personal reflections, music and prayers which centre around our Lent theme of ‘Journeying with Jesus to the Cross’.

Check out our six evenings below, and perhaps plan to read the passage before watching the reflection.
 
Sunday 21st February Luke 9:28-45   God revealed in Jesus - the challenge to believe
Sunday 28th February Luke 10:25-37 Who is my neighbour?
Sunday 7th March Luke 12:13-34 Where your treasure is there your heart will be also
Sunday 14th March Luke 14:1-23 True humility that leads to generosity of spirit
Sunday 21st March Luke 15:11-32 The tender heart of God
Sunday 28th March Luke 19:28-44 The merciful humility of God
 
The great gift of being part of a community of Christians is that we can help one another as we tumble and stumble after Jesus. In His heavenly wisdom, Jesus knew we would need one another to figure it all out. So this Lent, allow some of your fellow tumblers and stumblers to help you make sense of the wonderful mystery of being a follower of Jesus. 

The Travel Narratives

The Lent Reflections will all be taken from the Travel Narratives found in Luke’s Gospel, from chapter 9 onwards. Jesus has with intention, turned towards Jerusalem, which means facing the Cross. He uses this journey with his disciples to make clear to them, that He has come to usher in a whole new way of living. One that is rooted in him, and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who will come once Jesus has returned to his Father. This ‘new life’ will no longer be about moral restraint of sinful human behaviour through adherence to religious regulations; rather it will be about the transformation of the human soul through an interactive relationship with God the Father, the resurrected Jesus, and the indwelling Holy Spirit. All of which means access to the amazing grace of God which leads to a whole new way of seeing and doing.

Jesus is teaching his disciples as they travel with him, all about this wonderful Kingdom Life.

What is Lent?

Lent is the season of 40 days, excluding the Sundays, that precedes Easter Sunday. In some Christian traditions it is seen as a time for soul searching and self-examination when we mourn our sinfulness and seek God’s forgiveness through prayer and fasting. And hence the idea that we ‘give up’ something for Lent has its roots in the idea that we need to suffer for our sins as Christ in fact suffered on the Cross for us.

And while there is certainly an opportunity to take time to thoughtfully reflect on our sinfulness, and seek out times of self-examination and repentance, the season of Lent perhaps offers an opportunity to slow down and become more attentive to our walk with the Lord. The meaning of the word Lent is in fact, Spring. And as Lent falls within the season of Spring, there can be the joy of thinking in terms of fresh growth, which may include a reminder, or new understanding, of what it means to follow Jesus.

Let us all take time to look again at the wonder and joy of the life offered to us in and through Jesus. And choose it!