Lent 2024 at St Paul’s: get involved

There are several things you can get involved in with Lent this year at St Paul’s.

Ash Wednesday

It all kicks off on Ash Wednesday, when we have 2 services: one at noon and the other at 7pm. The services will have a simple word-only liturgy, with a short sermon and the imposition of ashes, where the priest will make a sign of the cross on your head with a mixture of ash (from the burning of last year’s Palm Sunday palm crosses) and oil.

Lent reading group

There will be a group of people reading ‘Tarry Awhile’ by Dr Selina Stone, which is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book for 2024. The book makes the wisdom of Black spiritualities and faith available for all people of faith. It focuses on 7 themes:

• darkness as a place of encounter with the divine
• the unity of all things
• movement
• belonging and migration
• the Spirit as one who moves in unexpected ways
• quiet contemplation as essential to spiritual growth
• healing in community
• weeping that turns to joy

Apart from reading the book individually, we’ll be engaging with it in different ways, including;

• discussions after the church service on Sunday morning
• discussion at Bible in the pub in the Eleanor Arms on Wednesday evenings
• in a WhatsApp group set up for the purpose

Alpha

Rev Darius is leading a new Alpha course on Zoom every Tuesday evening in Lent between 7.30 and 8.45.

Alpha is a series of group conversations that explore the basics of the Christian faith in an open, friendly environment. Everyone’s welcome. No matter your background or beliefs.

If you’d like to join the group, contact Rev Darius.

Being With

The Being With course, led by Rev April, which we previously posted about in the News section, started before Lent, but will be continuing through Lent on Zoom and occasional in-person meetings. Contact Rev April for more info.