News from the Pews

WHAT DO WE SEE IN THE MIRROR?

Hello my brothers and sisters in Christ. I can’t believe we are already in the month of March.

In a couple of days, we will start our Lent season, a time of reflection and preparation, a time for looking at ourselves. In the words of Stephen Cherry, the web of sin, attitudes and behaviour by which we are damaged, wounded, and destroyed. We are presented, once again with an opportunity to go deep down into our souls for all those hidden sins loitering inside us; Self-idolatry that prevents us from sustaining core virtues like service and humility to others. Our desire for fame, to be held in high regard, to be admired for our physical, intellectual or spiritual qualities, to be noted for our acts of service and kindness…

Our arrogant pride when we find ourselves in leadership positions, thinking that our position reflects our significantly superior capacities.

Envy, the saddest of sins as it doesn’t desire anything for itself; it just desires that someone else doesn’t have a benefit that we don’t enjoy. We are abnormally satisfied when we hear that someone we envy has fallen on hard times.

This Lent period is a time to look at what we are rather than at what we do. A time to allow God to change us into what He wants us to be.

Lent is the period of 40 days before Easter which began on Ash Wednesday, 2 March. There, we marked our foreheads in ash from burnt palm crosses and olive oil to recognise that we came from dust and to dust we shall return.  By observing 40 days of Lent, we copy Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days.

Lent is often seen as a season when we give things up. I don't disagree with that; however, I think it is a negative way of looking at it. Instead, I would encourage all of us to take up something for Lent... something that benefit's others and at the same time helps us to grow spiritually. If we choose to give something up for Lent, we should bear in mind that what is important is not what we gave up, but how what we gave up helps us to reflect on ourselves and how we can be all what God wants us to be.

There will be opportunities for us to meet together during the Lent period to pray, to reflect, to learn and to be transformed into a new creation. To change what we are and therefore transform what we do here at St Andrew's and in the community. I want us to take our faith and our love of Christ into the community. We must express our love of God, not only in words but also in deeds. This is something we all need to be embracing in any way we can.

Let us do the things we have been doing in the Church, but with greater confidence in the community, knowing that these are not our good works, but God's... And that, what we proclaim in words and action is not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, with us serving the community in his name.

Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also". According to Bishop Nick, recognising that our heart may not be where it should be is the beginning of freedom and the key to Christian discipleship. If we have courage to examine our hearts, we will not turn inwards (to self - obsession), but outwards to the world to which God commits himself through us.

As we prepare for Holy Week in a few weeks, I would like as many of you as possible to join me in our Lent reflection sessions on Tuesday’s afternoons and evenings. And at the beginning of the Holy Week, let’s also journey together through what is traditionally called, ‘the stations of the Cross’. The fifteen stations, depicting various stages of the journey of Christ through Jerusalem to Calvary, help us each year to reflect upon Jesus’ betrayal, his suffering, death and eventual rising.

Across these stations we will encounter Jesus in different ways. We will meet Veronica who is said to have wiped the face of Jesus’ as he carries his cross.

In Latin the name Veronica means ‘true image’. As the story goes, Veronica, out of compassion for Jesus, wipes his face with her veil and subsequently the image of Jesus’ face was imprinted upon it; creating what could be seen as a ‘true image’ both of herself and Jesus as well. Veronica ignored the possible persecution and death for helping Jesus and simply demonstrated her love and compassion for him.

As we try to follow the way of the Cross this Lent, in this time of anxiety and uncertainty, let us live the compassion and love of Veronica. Let us be the true, honest and lasting image of what it is to be human, to love one another, as family, friends and neighbours, serving one another through the love of God that Jesus shows on his way to the Cross.

I look forward to seeing you.

God’s blessing and Grace always

Reverend Olasupo Ogunyinka.