faithgoeswalkabout – Page 7 – Faith Goes Walkabout

Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter. In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days prior to Easter (less Sundays).

The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus – his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death and resurrection.

The actual word means – to lengthen, and is marked by the lengthening of days as we enter the season of Spring.

Lent is a preparation for Easter and is often shown by giving up something, often foods that we especially like; chocolate, cakes and biscuits are good examples. But Lent can also be a time for real reflection.

There are many Lent courses and the two included are both good ways of exploring meanings and an understanding of life today and the role of Christianity.

The Norwich diocese course(as illustrated) is part of the Lent project with Uganda and can be downloaded for free. The material is written by Rev’d Dr Medad Birungi Zinomuhangi, President & Founder-World Shine Ministries.

The Church Urban Fund course looks at issues of poverty today in the UK and can be downloaded for free. Searching for the truth behind the news headlines and discovering realities for people who live on the edge.

Or try Christian Aid Count Your Blessings? Bite size pieces of daily thoughts on life’s issues in a gentle but real way.

So, let’s get going in Lent, wake up to life around us and the Easter story in 40 days time.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Curate in Gayton group of parishes.

Sitting on Top of the World

A huge step downwards...

Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian helicopter pilot had been lifted up by a helium balloon to over 128,000 ft above Mexico, sitting on top of the world.

From there he emerged from his capsule in a suit, similar to a space suit and fell back to earth at 833mph.

Wow!! You might say it was utter madness, a stunt for publicity, what a waste of money or many other things but actually… Wow!

Sitting on top of the world!

The beautiful blue planet of earth lay beneath him, at the edge of space.

There’s a very good song by Delta Goodrem called Sitting on top of the World, a real rousing song and full of ‘feel good’ factor. If you don’t mind all the glitz, you can view on Youtube!

But what could it have been like! Once having made the decision, there was no choice but to get down, if he had gone up and up into space all sorts of things would have happened,he would not have survived for long.

What did he think at that point? He said he felt small and very alone and just wanted to get down.

Feeling small, humbled…the enormity of space around him. Looking down on the world below… all very theological.

God looking down from the heavens…

In the video of Felix’s descent the only sound you can hear is of his breathing, no screams, no shouts of joy or fear just silence. When he landed on his feet he fell to his knees and gazed upwards, Mmmm.

A fuller sermon is under Trinity on Faithgoeswalkabout, interesting for reflection.

Rev’d Sue Martin

Thoughts and reflections

Tag: faithgoeswalkabout

Lent 2013

Sitting on Top of the World