This Lent we are all invited to explore how we can live well with the mess of everyday life.
Dust and Glory encourages us to take a fresh look at the frustrations and failings that every day brings and, rather than pretending we can always avoid them, seek to learn from them and grow closer to God through them.
The Archbishops’ Lent Book and Course
Dust and Glory: A Lent journey of faith, failure and forgiveness is the Church of England’s Lent theme for 2023. This year’s resources are informed and inspired by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s 2023 Lent Book, Failure: What Jesus said about sin, mistakes and messing stuff up by Bishop Emma Ineson, who has also co-written the daily reflections booklet for adults
At St Michael’s we are recommending this book for Lent which is available from all good booksellers.
Daily reflections – booklets, app, audio
The weekly themes of the Archbishop’s Lent Book are also explored in daily reflections from the Church of England.
Dust and Glory: A Lent Journey of faith, failure and forgiveness offers a daily Bible reading, a short reflection and a practical challenge, as well as a prayer linked to the week’s theme. Co-written by Bishop Emma Ineson and Abbie Martin, the booklet is designed to be used either in parallel with the Lent Book or independently. The booklet is available to order now from Church House Publishing
An update to the Church of England app for iOS and Android – including daily audio – will be available in mid-February. Anyone who has the Church of England’s #FollowTheStar app installed will automatically get the Lent update. The reflections will also be available via email and also via the Church of England’s smart speaker apps – as well as on the free Daily Hope phone line (0800 804 8044).
The aftermath of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria has been devastating.
We join – with so many others – in praying for all those impacted.
In terms of practical support, our Mission Action Group has made a £1000 donation to Tearfund as an initial response to the situation.
If you would like to give financial support, we are directing this to DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee). DEC charities (including Tearfund) and their local partners are among the first responders, working with locally-led relief efforts in Turkey and Syria.
We welcome all recent arrivals to the UK to join us on the Hong Kong Welcome Course running at St Michael’s Centre from Sunday 19 February to Sunday 26 March.
Each week we will eat together at 1pm and then run through the course from 1:45pm, finishing by 3pm.
We invite people to bring their friends and relatives to join the course as well – it is for people of all faiths and of none.
Please register here to join the course so we can plan for the food and the activities.
For more information please talk with James Wong, Elsa Ma or Chris & Lucy Reveley.
