Dear Friends,

I am writing this on Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day as it is more popularly known. Tomorrow, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent which continues through all of March and ends on Easter Sunday – 4th April.

The first Sunday in Lent remembers Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, which happened at the very start of his ministry and then each subsequent week, we ‘follow in Jesus’ footsteps on his road to Jerusalem and the cross. In Luke’s Gospel in his account of Jesus’ transfiguration we read of a conversation that takes place between Jesus, Moses and Elijah:-

“They spoke of his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:30)

 The word ‘departure’ seems a curious term to use, but when we look at the original Greek in which Luke wrote we find the word for ‘departure’ is ‘exodus.’ It is the same as the title of the second book of the Old Testament and the Book of Exodus tells how God rescued the people of Israel and led them to freedom from slavery in Egypt. Jesus fulfilled in Jerusalem through his death and resurrection God’s rescue plan not just for the people of Israel but for all humanity. It is of this that Lent; Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter remind us.

 For me this year the events of Jesus’ ministry will be even more vivid than usual as Marion and I shall be in the Holy Land for part of the Lent season. I have been reading up on our trip in a book called “In the Footsteps of Jesus” by Peter Walker and it is exciting to think that in a little less than a week after writing this I shall literally be walking in the places where Jesus walked!!

While anticipating the prospect of soon to be following in Jesus’ footsteps in the land where the events we read about in the Gospels took place, it made me realise that you don’t actually have to travel to Israel to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We can follow in Jesus’ footsteps right here in West Wickham: if we love and serve others we are following in the footsteps of Jesus wherever we are.

As I prepare for the trip to the Holy Land, I mustn’t forget that following in Jesus’ footsteps in everyday life here is what Jesus calls us to just as he called Peter, Andrew, James and John, by the Sea of Galilee. So in this season of Lent wherever we happen to be let us reflect on these words of Jesus (as paraphrased by John Bell in the hymn we find at 558 in ‘Rejoice and Sing.)

Will you come and follow me
if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know
and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown.
will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown
in you and you in me?

 

Shalom,

Bill