Regeneration, retreat, or decluttering? The many faces of Lent

Ask people what theyโ€™re doing for Lent, and youโ€™re likely to get a wide range of replies. Formally, Lent is a 40-day season in the Christian liturgical calendar intended to prepare the faithful to experience the ultimate meaning and resurrection joy of Easter. We take the word โ€œLentโ€ from the Anglo-Saxon lencten, meaning โ€œspring-time,โ€ which in the …

The power of repentance

A sermon by Rod Benson Jonah 3:1-10 No sooner have Jonahโ€™s wrinkled, fishy hands gripped the coarse sand of a Jewish beach, than he hears the now familiar voice of God once more. It is the same message, the same words โ€“ a message previously disregarded, presenting a challenge previously disobeyed: โ€œGo to the great …