As I’m writing this, my mind is already thinking of the pancakes we’re going to have for dinner this evening as its Shrove Tuesday. I’ve just been trying to explain what Pancake Day is all about to Dariia and Kate – apparently it’s not common in Ukraine. The word shrove is a form of the English word shrive, which means to receive absolution for one's sins by way of Confession and fulfilling a penance. Thus Shrove Tuesday was named after the tradition of Christians to be "shriven" before the start of Lent. By the time you read this, we’ll have eaten our pancakes and been to the Ash Wednesday service, so I’m wondering – what approach are you taking to Lent this year? Traditionally, people have often ‘given something up’ for Lent – whether that’s chocolate, meat, alcohol or social media. But it’s becoming more common to ‘take something up’ for Lent – perhaps committing to pray every day, or carry out random acts of kindness for others. Whether you decide to mark your Lenten period in either way, remember that none of us are perfect, as our readings this Sunday show. But they also remind us that Jesus ‘leads to justification and life for all’ through his death and resurrection. As we journey through Lent as a community, I wish us all the peace and love that are so freely given to all of us sinners through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Nicola Denyer.
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