Wednesday, 1st
March was the beginning of the forty days of Lent. For St Pauls, that was
marked by taking part in the “Imposition of Ashes” service held at St Peters.
The service was
led by Michael Rusk, the rector, who will soon be leaving us to serve at
Emmanuel Church Geneva.
The sermon was
given by Steve Bailey. He reminded us that in the sermon on the Mount, Jesus
talked about when you pray, when you fast and when you
give. These are all actions often associated with Lent, and Jesus assumed that
they would be taking place. Steve commented that people often speak of what
they will give up for Lent, but he felt that it was equally important what they
would be taking up for Lent; prayer, fasting and giving. And he made particular
suggestions for using the time that would be freed by fasting, and for giving
the money that would be saved by fasting. He suggested at the time saved could
not only be used for prayer also for devotional reading and he recommended
Archbishop Justin Welby’s Lent book: “Dethroning Mammon: Making Money Serve
Grace.”
“Imposition of
Ashes” then followed. As people came to the front, Steve marked each person on
their forehead with a sign of the cross, using Ashes mixed with Oil; a sign
both of the importance of the cross and our own frailty. As he did this, he
used the words: “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Turn
away from sin and be faithful to Christ.”
