It is interesting that these bursts of self-improvement and restraint permeate our culture encouraging us to stick with the Church’s well-tried pattern of feasting and fasting.

While giving up chocolate for Lent might not seem like a deep-rooted spiritual practice these small acts of self-denial shed light on our habits and routines as well as our craving and addictions, showing us the things that we have come to rely upon and highlighting our dependencies. They aim not only to remind us that God alone is the essential element in our living but also to help us break long-term habits and make us aware of some of our assumptions that shape our actions.

Being willing to change, to be flexible and sometimes to do without are important parts of our discipleship as we follow Jesus into a life of love for God and our neighbour.

Already in Birmingham we are seeing wonderful things happening, spurred on by the Near Neighbours funding, when people change the way they work and do something new in partnership with people of different faiths.

 

There are exciting stories emerging of schemes to offer a spare room to a homeless asylum seeker, volunteers trained to support people trapped by debt, friendships built between young people who thought they had nothing in common and older people drawn together to share stories, food and the love of gardening. Find out more at www.near-neighbours.org.uk

Meanwhile the Boys Brigade are encouraging us not to waste clothes, leaving them lingering unworn in a wardrobe while we wear the same old favourites day after day. Their recycling scheme leads directly to the employment of young people as the income generated by re-using fabrics pays the salary of an 18-25 year-old who would otherwise be unemployed. You can find out more at http://tinyurl.com/7ht8p7n

At a recent presentation given by the Boys Brigade I heard that the average person spent £600 a year on clothes. For some of us that might be a good challenge – monitor what you spend over a year and see if you can stick to £50 a month. Others might be ready for a fashion fast – clear out your wardrobe, buy enough essentials and then go for a year without buying clothes. It is a great way to look at your relationship to clothes, fashion, identity and money – you could even give away what you have saved to support someone who cannot afford the necessities of daily life.

If you can’t restructure your spending patterns you might be able to carve out time by reassessing your priorities. I recently heard that 60 volunteers assembled in a matter of days – people drawn from our churches who are willing to give up a bit of time and comfort in order to make a winter night shelter for homeless people possible.

This Lent let us change things not only as a spiritual discipline but also as a chance to share our lives, our times and our money to help all those around us reach their full potential and touch the love of God made present by those who follow him.

May God bless you as you continue to be transformed and transform the world around you.