Monthly Message from our Rector - March 2026
Lent isn’t just about giving up chocolate
'Lent isn't just about giving up chocolate' is something I feel like I have said countless times, especially when explaining the concepts behind Lent to school children. In scripture, prayer and fasting often go hand in hand, as we give up one activity or habit in our lives to enable another.
The desert fathers and mothers often stepped out of busy and complicated lives to give themselves over to God. They exchanged the gaining of possessions for simplicity and generosity. And they gave up many activities and distractions in the world around them to focus on scripture and prayer.
What is it that you could give up or spend less time doing to give more time to a spiritual activity? If you are anything like the average person in this country, you spend considerably more time behind screens than you realise. Research shows that people touch their smartphones over a thousand times a day! Perhaps we are not aware of how much of our time we spend on things like this - but each of us are is different, so what could you cut out or spend less time on?
Perhaps you are wondering what spiritual activities you could engage with. There are a few suggestions for engaging with scripture in my monthly letter in the latest Issue (36) of Common Ground Magazine which you can find here (sorry….unfortunately some of these involve the use of screens!)
I hope and pray that these will help you to draw closer to God this Lent.
Revd Peter Francis
Resources
Below are the Quick Links for downloading the Lectio 365 App……….