Services and Preachers -- September - November

Trinity with Palm Grove United Reformed and Methodist Church Alton Road, Oxton, Birkehead. CH43 1UZ

The real Lent is the putting forth of a man's hand to quiet his own passions and to push them aside, that the higher voices may speak to him and the higher touches may fall upon him. Anonymous Lenten self-denial has a double objective: first it drills and disciplines our desires so that we may become masters of ourselves; and secondly, what we deny to ourselves will be time, or money, free to give away. Tony Castle Who fasts but does no other good, saves his bread but goes to Hell. An Italian Proverb Every year at our house, at the beginning of Lent, we have a debate about the value of certain Lenten practices. Is it a good thing to give up particular little pleasures for the forty days before Easter, or not? Is it valuable to God or anyone else that we should deny ourselves chocolate, salt and cake? Does it do any good to abstain from treacle tart, and its like, if the same food is returned to with redoubled vigour and enthusiasm after Easter? I have to say that I have been an advocate of such seasonal self-denial but I recognise that my position is not without its problems, and my family has been quick to point them out. They have noticed for instance, that I often say that I am “going without salt” during Lent but that my “going without salt” is a matter of opinion. I don’t add it to anything myself, but many of the foods that I continue to eat and enjoy already have a lot of salt in them. Indeed, my love for, and intake of, salted peanuts has been known to reach peak levels at this time of year. I have poured them liberally on salads, stir-fries and just about everything so that I can add a little zest to the flavour of things, without actually touching that sinful shaker of salt. I guess it is not surprizing that this behaviour has been noticed, and named, as a something akin to hypocrisy. Some of you may know that the term Lent did not originally have anything to do with self-denial. In fact, it is Saxon in origin and referred to the month of March which they called

The real Lent is the putting forth of a man's hand to quiet his own passions and to push them aside, that the higher voices may speak to him and the higher touches may fall upon him. Anonymous Lenten self-denial has a double objective: first it drills and disciplines our desires so that we may become masters of ourselves; and secondly, what we deny to ourselves will be time, or money, free to give away. Tony Castle Who fasts but does no other good, saves his bread but goes to Hell. An Italian Proverb Every year at our house, at the beginning of Lent, we have a debate about the value of certain Lenten practices. Is it a good thing to give up particular little pleasures for the forty days before Easter, or not? Is it valuable to God or anyone else that we should deny ourselves chocolate, salt and cake? Does it do any good to abstain from treacle tart, and its like, if the same food is returned to with redoubled vigour and enthusiasm after Easter? I have to say that I have been an advocate of such seasonal self-denial but I recognise that my position is not without its problems, and my family has been quick to point them out. They have noticed for instance, that I often say that I am “going without salt” during Lent but that my “going without salt” is a matter of opinion. I don’t add it to anything myself, but many of the foods that I continue to eat and enjoy already have a lot of salt in them. Indeed, my love for, and intake of, salted peanuts has been known to reach peak levels at this time of year. I have poured them liberally on salads, stir-fries and just about everything so that I can add a little zest to the flavour of things, without actually touching that sinful shaker of salt. I guess it is not surprizing that this behaviour has been noticed, and named, as a something akin to hypocrisy. Some of you may know that the term Lent did not originally have anything to do with self-denial. In fact, it is Saxon in origin and referred to the month of March which they called

Sept. 5^th Allan Brame - Communion 12^th Bill Gould 19^th Rev. Dr. Christine Jones 26^th P. Colyer Oct. 3^rd Allan Brame - Communion 10^th Bill Gould 17^th Rev. Dr. Christine Jones 24^th P. Jones 31^st M. Boswell Nov. 7^th Rev. Gwynfor Evans - 44^th LEP Anniversary - Communion 14th Rev. Heather Cooper - Remembrance 21^st Allan Brame 28^th Rev. Dr. Christine Jones At TPG or via Zoom