REV Barbara Greenwood led the service at Crediton Methodist Church on Sunday, March 9. This being the first Sunday in Lent, the Lenten Cross was dressed with bread and wine.

How do we do Lent? When Barbara was young, Lent meant giving up something such as chocolate. In her 20s Barbara remembered the fashion for taking up something for Lent.

Christian Aid had a scheme, where you gave one pence for every tap in the house – to remember those who did not have fresh water or five pence for every toilet in your house – to remember those who did not have sanitary facilities.

Lent started in the very early Church as preparation for those who were going to be baptised at Easter.

In order to prepare themselves for baptism, there was fasting, penitence and prayer.

Then Lent became a time when they could consider their shortcomings. Lent was a time for prayer and fasting.

However you do Lent, the basic idea is getting closer to God by prayer, Bible reading and study groups.

The Greek or Roman culture of the first century was to seek honour and avoid shame – low birth was regarded as shameful. Into that culture we have St Paul writing in Romans “everyone who trusts in Him will not be put to shame”.

Jesus was of low birth and Joseph was a working man – not of the nobility. Jesus was a convicted criminal and crucified – other reasons for shame.

Jesus was cursed by His birth, conviction and execution. St Paul says that if you believe that Jesus rose from the dead you will be saved.

We have a new way – a way which is based on the grace of God. Everyone who calls on the name of God will be saved.

There is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles, high or low born. That sounds wonderful but it is very easy for us to turn the new system of grace into the new system of rules.

You have to confess that Jesus is Lord. Is it sufficient to say that Jesus is Lord or do you need to recite the Apostles’ Creed or do you have to believe everything in it?

Before you know it, we have a new system of rules which decides who is acceptable or not.

It you ask the question “what is a Christian who is part of the Church?” you will get several different answers depending on people’s background, experience and what they have ben taught.

What do you need to do? You can go through ceremonies, but at heart you will have to seek God.

Jesus went into the desert to seek God at the beginning of His public ministry and He discovered the strength of forces against Him in the form of the temptations.

He was tempted to make a stone into bread after fasting for 40 days. Jesus was offered power in subjection to the forces of evil. The third temptation was to prove He was the Son of God.

Jesus’ path was to trust absolutely in God and to seek out earthly proof.

When we seek God, however and whatever we do, we will discover the strength of forces against us and within us.

The voice that tells us we are not good enough and we have to do better to be loved. The temptation that tells us there is no point in trying to be close to God. The voice that tells us we are not good enough to be accepted in the presence of God.

During Lent, we can seek God in many ways and can receive God’s grace.

Sometimes that happens over time. We need to keep on exposing ourselves to God’s grace.

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. It does not matter what you do. What matters is that you turn to God and seek Him. With salvation we will know that we will be forgiven.

God wants us to be in a relationship with Him by God’s grace.

Bronwyn Nott

Crediton Methodist Church