by Revd Canon Rob Penrith
Dear Friends in Christ,
I began my preparations for Lent during the closing weeks of our time in Bahrain and got quite excited by some of the thoughts that came out of my reading.
As you gather this Sunday, the First Sunday of Lent, we invite you to begin not with anxiety about what Lent demands of you — the fasting, the discipline, the extra times of quiet reflection — but with confidence in what God promises to you. Start with His faithfulness, His mercy, and His invitation to draw near. From a renewed encounter with the Lord, you may discover that the disciplines of Lent arise not from effort alone, but quite naturally from a heart being gently turned again toward Him. Two readings that reflect the Lenten theme put it into perspective:-
In Romans 4:1–17, St Paul reflects on Abraham. Abraham was not declared righteous because he achieved something remarkable, nor because he perfected religious performance. He trusted. So, the Word tells us that “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” At the beginning of Lent, that is both humbling and liberating. Our standing before God rests not on our spiritual heroics, but on trust in the One who makes promises and keeps them.
Lent can tempt us to measure ourselves: prayers said, disciplines kept, chocolate refused. Yet Paul gently shifts the ground beneath our feet. Faith is not self-improvement; it is reliance. Abraham simply leaned into God’s promise before he saw its fulfilment. Lent invites us to do the same.
In John 3:1–17, Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night. He is thoughtful, sincere, searching. Yet Jesus speaks to him about something beyond intellectual religion: “You must be born from above.” Lent is not cosmetic adjustment; it is new birth. It is the Spirit breathing where we cannot control or predict.
And then we hear the great heartbeat of the Gospel: “For God so loved the world…” Not God so judged the world. Not God so tolerated the world. God so loved the world that he gave his Son. Lent begins not in ashes alone, but in love. The ashes remind us of our mortality; the Gospel reminds us of God’s mercy.
Notice the order: love first, then transformation. Gift first, then growth. Promise first, then obedience.
As we journey these forty days, perhaps we might hold three simple prayers:
Lord, teach me to trust your promise.
Lord, breathe your Spirit into what feels dry within me.
Lord, let me live as one loved, not as one striving to be loved.
Nicodemus came by night. Many of us begin Lent aware of shadows all around us — in the world, in our families, in ourselves. Yet John tells us that the light shines into this darkness. The God who called Abraham into an unseen future is the same God who brings new birth to searching hearts – yours and mine!
May this sacred season not be a burden of religious effort, but a rediscovery of grace. May we walk together in faith, honesty, and hope — trusting the promise, receiving the love, and opening ourselves to the Spirit’s quiet work within us. The disciplines will come quite comfortably out of this reflection.
Yours in Christ,
Canon Rob Penrith