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Lent 2021

Lent

Dear Friends

The Book of Common Prayer Collect for the first Sunday in Lent is:

O Lord, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

I recently read that this prayer was composed for the pearlier 1549 Prayer Book because the older Latin Collect was in Archbishop Cranmer’s view focussed too heavily on the good work of fasting and he did not like it.

It seems the Church of England has always had a slightly ambivalent view towards the value of fasting. It published the following table in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer: A Table of the Vigils, Fasts, and Days of Abstinence, to be Observed in the Year. In which it is clear that no distinction is made between ‘Fasting’ and ‘Abstinence’. This merging of ideas might explain why our modern emphasis seems to have changed from fasting during lent to the idea of giving something up (Abstinence) such as chocolate.

Today we have moved even further away from the Book of Common Prayer concepts often to advocating taking something up for the Lenten period or doing something positive that we would not normally do but which benefits society or someone else. I personally prefer this idea.

However, whatever you do decide to do remember it is to help us prepare for Easter. There is always a danger that we become too involved with the processes – to fast or not to fast, what should I give up this year, what book shall I try to read during Lent and so on? It is important not to forget that whatever you decide to do is means to an end and not an end in itself.

And by the way, nowhere does it say we need to make ourselves or others miserable for Lent.

Mathew 6 vs 17 and 18 when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,¹⁸ so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting,

Yours

Tony Gilbert

Rector Three Valleys Benefice

Three Valleys Team Ministry

For details of future services, please go to the Services page; for reports on what has happened, please go to the Recent Events page and we hope that there will soon be items on the Forthcoming Events page.]

"....Despite the announcements about re-starting our services in church, it is still far from clear what we will be able to do. Communions are likely to prove problematic for some time to come. The clergy team has met and discussed what we think will be possible and have the following suggestions. As you may know we propose to start gradually with only three services for each Sunday in the first month, one in each of the three components of the benefice. We propose to hold our first services on Sunday 12th July by which time I expect we will have received full guidance from the diocese. We would like to hold these first services in Folke for the WHV, Yetminster for the Wriggle Valley and Thornford for the Gifle Valley. These services will start at 10:00am. There will also be an electronic service for those who prefer not to expose themselves to any possible risk of a social gathering."

Some churches are now open for Private Prayer.

For up-to-date arrangements, as we receive them, please go to the Arrangements for opening churches page.

The Reverend George Moody is now writing a new blog called The Rectory Window (therectorywindow.blogspot.com) based on Mark's gospel. It will appear on an occasional basis.

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See the Three Valleys Team facebook page as well for more information and to watch live-streamed services.

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A PRAYER FOR ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY CORONAVIRUS

Keep us, good Lord,

under the shadow of your mercy.

Sustain and support the anxious,

be with those who care for the sick,

and lift up all who are brought low;

that we may find comfort

knowing that nothing can separate us from your love