AS Lent begins please look at the Churches Together in Hexham website for details of groups being held in churches and homes in Hexham; why not come along and enjoy stimulating discussions as we approach Easter?

THE Rev. David Goodall of Trinity Methodist Church comments on Luke 4:1-13.

“DID you enjoy a pancake on Tuesday? What’s your favourite topping? Did you wonder why Tuesday was Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day? Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday which marks the first day of Lent, the 40 days not counting the Sundays, leading to Easter.

“Lent is a period of preparation when Christians prepare with a particular focus on prayer, fasting, reading the Bible and study. Christians are then ready to celebrate the great festival of Easter, the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection with the gift of eternal life.

“The 40 days of Lent reflect the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness which Luke records in the reading for this Sunday. Jesus’ time in the desert comes just before the start of his public ministry and is a time of preparation for him. During this time, Jesus went without food and was tempted three times by the devil. His preparation wasn’t easy and for Christians the season of Lent isn’t always an easy time as through prayer and study God often refines us.

“As you savour the last taste of pancakes, think about your Lent this year. How might you set time aside to prepare for Easter? What might you learn anew about God and his eternal love for us this Lent and Easter?”