Weekly Reflection – Pancakes, Ash and Surprises

I do hope your pancakes on Tuesday did not resemble the ashes you may have seen and had marked on your forehead on Wednesday. My biggest surprise of the week was how good the weather was for the “Hands across Wakefield” event, marking 125 years of the opening of Pinderfields hospital and celebrating all the amazing care and hard work that the dedicated staff have the hospital have given to us over so many years. I can recall the hospital before the new building was constructed, with long corridors that seems to last for ever. It was good to be part of the human chain today, with Bishop Nick, cathedral staff, members of the emergency services, school children and many others.

If we stick to the church tradition, we should have used up our lard, fats, and eggs to make our pancakes on Tuesday and not eat them again until Easter Sunday. Our meals should be simple, and sugar would not be consumed.

I presume by now you will have decided what you are going to give up this Lent, or maybe you have decided to do something extra so you will be doing more with your time.

If you can set a time each day which is best for you to spend extra time with Jesus you can reflect or pray, I invite you pray for the needs of the world, our country, our city, each other, and yourself.

From this morning’s Morning Prayer the gospel reading from St John’s gospel chapter 4 recalled Jesus’s words about sowing and harvesting: that we can harvest where we have not planted and there is much harvesting to be done. We need to be visible to see the people we are all called to make contact with. We need to be ready to walk alongside people we know and maybe people we do not know. We are called by our Lord Jesus to support and help others. May our prayer be along those lines and we will see what opportunities God provides.

I wish you all a happy and reflective Lent, seeking to do God’s will in your life.

Curate Rob