Real Hunger Games #Lentlink 9

The film The Hunger Games premiered a few days ago and looks to have been a box office hit having made the third highest opening weekend sales. The film, based on the novel by Suzanne Collins, is set in a post apocalyptic world confronting issues of severe poverty, starvation, oppression, and the effects of war.

To coincide with the film Tearfund has launched The Real Hunger Games, focusing attention on the plight of the 1 billion people throughout the world facing poverty and hunger today. The Tearfund resources include details of its work, reflections on themes raised by the film and suggestions for campaigning for governments to take action.

Don’t just watch the film and forget about the issues, check out the Tearfund campaign and get involved. The Damaris Trust has also produced some resources to discuss some of the other issues raised by the film.

Lord God, we pray for everyone who is hungry today – whether they live thousands of miles away or in our local communities.
We pray urgently for food prices around the world to stabilise and fall, so that more countries do not fall into extreme hunger.
God we ask for wisdom for leaders and experts working to tackle hunger, and that they would be willing and able to make progress in identifying ways to combat food security and help communities adapt to changing weather patterns.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Count your blessings #Lentlink 8

Christian Aid is inviting people to Count Your Blessings for Lent 2012.

Lent is a time to take each day to reflect, pray and be thankful for the goodness of God and the blessings that we have received.
Make Lent count this year in a fresh way by joining us on the Count Your Blessings journey and supporting some of the poorest communities in the world.

There are a variety of resources including a weekly reflection and you can also take part via Twitter and Facebook. Count Your Blessings has been endorsed by Tom Wright:

'As economic and political troubles increase around the world, many of us forget just how much we ourselves have to be thankful for. ‘Count your blessings’ is a great way of using the discipline of Lent to remind ourselves of just how fortunate we are – and of the very practical ways in which we can share our blessings with those in greatest need.

For more information about Christian Aid campaigns including Trace the Tax check out their website.

40 #Lentlink 7

‘For my thirtieth birthday I gave myself some time away from it all.’ Check out this beautiful reflection on Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness.



h/t St Mary’s Great Baddow.

Fairtrade Fortnight #Lentlink 6

What do we buy and where do we buy it from? During Fairtrade Fortnight you are invited to Take a Step in 2012 as a way of engaging with justice for farmers in developing countries. If you want to know why you should bother then watch this video.

Together #Lentlink 5

Together is the title of the Church Urban Fund email newsletter. This months edition has some great ideas for individuals and churches during Lent. Here are some examples with links:

Lent starts here
Lent is traditionally a period of spiritual reflection; time to give up luxuries and treats and to take on an activity that encourages spiritual growth and transformation. If you've downloaded or ordered our new Lent poverty course then we hope you're getting ready to start exploring some of the challenging issues of poverty in England. There's still time to download the free course or order it from us - we can also send Lent collecting boxes or Gift Aid envelopes, and there are lots of Lent fundraising ideas online.

Growing church through social action?
There is a hypothesis that when a church looks outward - actively loving and serving it's neighbours, especially the 'least of these' - then the church will be healthier and will grow. We tested this theory for our latest research, which was carried out by Christian Research Consultancy amongst Anglican parishes - around 900 clergy were surveyed, and in-depth interviews were held with eight church leaders who had successfully transformed their churches from failing, poorly-attended buildings to lively community hubs. You can read the research findings online or request copies of the reports.

If you want to know something of what CUF is doing to transform lives then watch this video.

Broken by drugs - transformed by God's love
Raised in Clubmoor, Liverpool, Craig was a teenage alcoholic who soon became addicted to drugs. When he met Jo - at a detox facility during one of his many attempts to kick a cocaine habit - life seemed to be getting better. But the strain of trying to make things work lead to rows and violent fights and when Jo realised she was pregnant, she feared that Social Services would take their baby away. Things looked bleak, but with the help of a Church Urban Fund-supported project at a local church, a different future was possible.



Why not check out the CUF Youtube page, follow on Twitter, or become a friend on Facebook?

the Nail #Lentlink 4

You hold in your hands a nail that was used to crucify Christ. If you accept it, this nail is the beginning of a deeply moving and personal journey through the Passion story.

The Nail is written by Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop of Chelmsford, and it is a powerful series of reflections on the crucifixion of Jesus seen through the eyes of some of those who witnessed his death. Would we have behaved any differently? Each reflection includes a Bible passage, a narrative from the perspective of the character and a short prayer.

Will you accept the nail that crucified Christ?

Lord Jesus Christ,
We confess that just like your first disciples we have failed you,
We have run away when we should have stayed,
We have blamed others and excused ourselves,
We have stored up treasure on earth
and ignored the treasure of your way:
Lord forgive us, Christ have mercy. Amen.

Pray one for me #Lentlink 3

It’s OK to pray. Many people do and about a wide variety of subjects. Some big, some small, but all important.

By posting a prayer request at the Pray One For Me website, you can be sure that it will be prayed by Christians on your behalf.

Your prayer can be about almost anything. Some of the most frequent topics are family and friends, thanking God, guidance, healing and worldwide problems. When you post you will be offered the chance to say what category your prayer falls into and you can add your own tags. But if it’s about something else, that’s fine. Your prayer is unique and it will be treated like that.

Pray One For Me is run by the Church of England for Lent.

Imagine a changed world #Lentlink 2

Read this excellent article on Lent by Jane Williams: Lent is a chance to take stock and imagine a changed world.

This is how the New Testament tells it, and that's why Jesus's followers "do" Lent. For a few weeks, we try to see that the world doesn't crumble if we don't have everything we want; we try to make ourselves and our resources that little bit more available for ends other than our own…

…there is really no point at all in a Lenten discipline that isn't about reimagining the world so that it revolves less about our own desires and more about the good of all. When Lent ends, that vision of the world doesn't. It's a world that is less about what I want, and more about what we all need, in which the good life for me is unimaginable unless it is also the good life for you.

Don’t give up #Lentlink 1

‘What are you giving up for Lent?’ I have lost count of the number of times I get asked that question each year. Perhaps people think there are lots of things I need to give up! This year I have decided to give up asking the question ‘What are you giving up for Lent?’ because it strikes me that it is a negative question that reinforces the idea that Christianity is all about things we can’t or shouldn’t do.

Instead I want to ask the question ‘What are you doing for Lent?’ Lent should be a positive experience for us as Christians; a time for us to reflect on our relationship with God and each other and a time to creatively engage with God’s will for our lives and his world. If you are going to give up doing something for Lent then ask yourself what is the creative positive alternative? Some people give up eating chocolate or biscuits for Lent; a positive alternative might be to change to eating Fairtrade chocolate or biscuits. Of course if you need to give up eating too much chocolate or too many biscuits then you should be doing that anyway and shouldn’t need to wait for Lent and use God as the excuse for a crash diet.

During Lent we will be continuing our series on the Fruit of the Spirit in our morning services at St. Mary’s. One positive action might be to take one of the Fruit of the Spirit each week and think of a practical positive way of cultivating that fruit. For example, think of an act of generosity you might offer towards someone you know or do something joyful as a celebration of God’s gracious love.

There is an excellent resource to help us creatively engage with Lent called Love Life Live Lent which has suggestions for celebrating Lent as individuals and families. For more information check out the website.

May this Lent be a positive experience; a time when we grow closer to God and become more alert to his will for us and for his creation.

Oh, and I’ll use any excuse to post one of my favourite Peter Gabriel songs.