March Blog
As I write this, I sat on a train travelling from Liskeard to Woking, ready to spend three days discerning with people who feel called to training to become Vicars. I have served the national Church on these panels for the last three years. I love them as I get to hear people’s stories and hear how God may be calling them to ordained ministry, apart from some intense interviews and lots of reports written, as a key part is to prayerfully discern and pray for these 8 people over the next two days. As I write this, we are also waking up to tragic news of all that is happening in Iran, and again, we are seeing more nations coming to fight and full of injustice in leadership. As I reflect on this and as I pray, I am drawn back to the desert in Egypt, not just because I am loving the daily Lent reflections from Lectio. If you haven’t downloaded the App yet, it’s brilliant.
www.lectio365.com/
But last week we had a family holiday in Egypt. Just to set the record straight, it was a big water park holiday; however, I explored some of the tombs in Luxor and some other trips, but I did not expect to see so much desert. We drove 4 hours to Luxo, and the majority of it was pure desert. It made me really reflect on the Mothers and Fathers of faith, and in particular Moses and Jesus. Moses, who led his people into the wilderness for 40 years and as you see from this photo, there really is nothing. Moses led his people through the heat, hunger, and frustration, and to quote Asa on one of our trips out. “Are we there yet?” Yet Moses stayed prayerful and faithful. Then on Ash Wednesday, many of you gathered together, received Ashes and came and started Lent full of repentance and stillness and also came and remembered how Jesus again went to the desert, and what did he do? He sat and prayed. He was tempted by the devil, and he responded prayerfully focused.
How does your Lent look so far? Is it prayerful? Is it quiet and reflective? Maybe you need to reset and start afresh. The good news each Sunday is a feasting day, so maybe you have used your six feasting days already! However, away from giving up chocolate or social media, etc. Lent is for going deeper in prayer, and that is what we are being asked to do.
As we start this new month, and we look at this world and see the torture and injustice in our world, maybe that is the simple invitation to stop and pray. Last month, we shared with you the four great charities we are going to partner with this year. One of them is Open the doors who for many years has supported so many people and Churches in Iran. Maybe this next week or month, we need to connect with them and pray. Check out some of their info and prayers!
www.opendoorsuk.org/news/iran-urgent-prayer/
As we continue to teach and do more prayer, what better time than lent to dig into prayer.
I was struck by being on this site in Luxo
That looked very similar to where Moses freed his people, and how steep, big, and full of detail. Pharaoh would not let his people go; finally, he did. Why, because of the 10th plague, but also of Moses and Aaron’s faithful praying.
So a question for you.
What are you faithfully praying for right now? Or maybe a better question is what might God be asking you to faithfully be praying for?
Open doors have written this short prayer:
Heavenly Father, we join with our brothers and sisters in Iran and the region in calling for peace and protection over citizens in those countries. Please strengthen our church family to be salt and light in the midst of crisis, and may Your kindness and mercy be powerfully present. Give wisdom and restraint to all decision-makers and let hope, love and freedom reign in Iran. Amen.
However you come this Lent, how your heart may be breaking this day for the state of our world. Let us, like Moses and Jesus, come to the desert and faithfully pray.
May God ignite, speak and challenge you in prayer this holy season of lent.
God Bless
Mark
