• Blog
  • Welcome
  • Pray for these
  • Some Prayers that may help
Reflections in the Water

​Beauty surrounds us, but we usually need to be walking in a garden to know it  - Rumi
​

Be prepared

20/2/2017

0 Comments

 
The other evening we had a power cut. The electricity supply was cut off completely. Suddenly everything was darkness, the central heating shut down and, of course no power means no kettle so no cup of tea. Panic ensured for a while. Suddenly things were out of control. There was nothing we could do. Yet since my wife had prepared for such an eventuality it was not long before torches, battery lights and candles were found. Some measure of sanity returned. At least we could see.

We all need preparation for our spiritual life too.  Lent begins early this year; Ash Wednesday falls on March 1st.  During Lent some will undertake pilgrimages to a holy place.  They will prepare taking, amongst other things, bibles, spiritual books, prayers and intentions plus quantities of foot salve to ease the blisters. In the same way we must prepare for our Lenten journey. For most of us, I suspect it is more likely to be giving up something, perhaps sugar in tea or coffee or that tempting chocolate biscuit at 11am. That may not be as simple as it sounds, - tea without sugar tastes awful, to me anyway - it may require effort, commitment, a decision to take a certain course which will need preparation.  Then having made the decision to give something up, what are we going to do with the time saved by not finding the sugar bowl or queuing up to purchase those chocolate goodies? The answer must be to use that time to prepare, to use the time to deepen our relationship with God and to recommit ourselves to following Christ which is the aim and object of pilgrimage.

Now here’s a thought. Everyone says that they know the Easter story so why bother reading it again. But is that really so? Would we not learn something new by revisiting those events of 2000 years ago? There is absolutely no doubt that we will find something new in the Bible, something that hadn’t been obvious to us before. Perhaps more importantly we need to ask, what message in that story does God have for me today. It may well be different to the message God has for you. The only way to find out is to ask Him. “What are my spiritual needs?” Just ask Him, and wait quietly. Our ideas may not be what God wants so we will probably need to make that same simple prayer on more than one occasion. But God will tell us.
​
As a result of Jennifer’s preparation, light was soon restored to us – material light, that is. Let our Lenten preparations restored spiritual light to us as well. Let us turn away from our sinfulness and recommit ourselves to following Christ. That will not be an easy course but then nothing worthwhile ever is easy. But we have God on our side to guard us, to guide us and to support us. Thanks be to God.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I am an Authorised Local Preacher in an Anglo Catholic parish church, in the Diocese of Essex UK 

    Archives

    February 2022
    January 2022
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    RSS Feed

      Get up to date blogs! Sign up here

    Submit
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.