Stainglass window
Christmas 2011
3rd Dec Advent Party
12th Dec @ 2pm
Carol Service at Oak tree Court
16th Dec @ 2.30pm
Carol Service at Stratford Court
17th Dec @11am
Carol Singing outside Co-Op
18th Dec Nativity and Christingle Service and Carol Service
24th Dec @ 11pm (Service starts at 11.30pm
United Service at URC Etwall Rd
25th Dec @10am
Christmas Day Service
Lent
On Wednesday, February 6, we will enter into one of the most important seasons of the church year-the "40 days" of Lent. The word "Lent" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, or spring, the time of year when the days begin to lengthen. Lent itself is always the same period of time, but its starting date is tied to the movable feast of Easter and can be as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.
Lent is one of the most important seasons of the church year because it is a time of patience. Not only do some people use the start of a New Year to make resolutions, keeping them through the year or not, as the case may be, but for the Christians the time of Lent is a much more important period when we take stock of our lives and our relationships to discover and change what we must to prepare for Easter. In this way we can experience spiritual renewal that comes when we engage in this type of "making right" activity. So, during Lent we each follow the example of Jesus by sacrificing our own will to the purpose of God.
Shrove Tuesday (February 5th) is the final day before the Lenten fast. "Shrove" Tuesday refers to the ancient practice of being "shriven" (confessing and receiving absolution) in order to begin and keep a Holy Lent.
Starting on Ash Wednesday, the Lenten season includes 40 weekdays and five Sundays before Holy Week and the culminating triumph of the Resurrection at Easter. Lent has two major focuses:
The first is on baptism, which in the early Church only occurred at Easter.
The second Lenten theme-one with which most of us are more familiar- is that of fasting and renunciation. This theme recalls Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness, and through them the discipline of self-denial reflecting the sacrifice of our will to the purpose of God.
Let us therefore, take stock of our lives at this special time in the Christian calendar and be prepared to make any necessary sacrifices which will help us hear what God has to say to us and act upon his will and be renewed.