SKFC Lent Courses 2009

These three … Faith, Hope and Love is the title of this year’s Lent Course chosen by the Seven Kings Fellowship of Churches. The course is based on the three great qualities celebrated in 1 Corinthians 13. This famous passage begins and ends in majestic prose but the middle passage is practical and demanding. St Paul’s thirteen verses take us to the heart of what it means to be a Christian.

The five sessions of this course take us through: Believing and Trusting; The Peace of God; Faith into Love; The Greatest of these; and All shall be well. As we reflect on these topics we will be guided by the participants on the course CD who, this year, are Bishop Tom Wright, Anne Atkins, and Christopher Jamison, the Abbot of Worth Abbey. Dr. David Hope introduces the course and Professor Frances Young provides the Closing Reflections.

There are plenty of opportunities to study this course with others in the Seven Kings Fellowship of Churches as there are four different course venues (at which all are welcome):

• St Teresa’s Newbury Park – Mondays 10.00am (2, 9, 16, 23, 30 March)
• St Peter’s Aldborough Hatch – Wednesdays 10.45am & 8.00pm (4, 11, 18, 25 March & 1 April)
• St John’s Seven Kings – Wednesdays 10.45am (4, 11, 18, 25 March & 1 April)
• St John's Seven Kings – Wednesdays 8.00pm (4, 11, 18, 25 March & 1 April)

The Church Times review of this course said: “This course is very good indeed. Written by John Young, it is the latest in the excellent series of York Courses designed for groups and individuals.”

This year there is also an alternative to the Lent course which may suit film buffs. There will be a series of Lent Film evenings at St John’s Vicarage (2 Regent Gardens IG3 8UL) on Tuesdays at 7.30pm. On these evenings we will watch four controversial portrayals of Jesus’ life and death - ‘The Gospel According to Matthew’ (U) on 3/3; ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ (15) 10/3; ‘Jesus of Montreal’, (18) 17/3; ‘The Passion of the Christ’ (18) 24/3 - before discussing all four films on 31/3.

Film is a very powerful medium for telling the Jesus story and as we reflect on the differing ways in which these films tell that story we are guaranteed to be moved, challenged and uplifted. Whether you choose to watch these Lent films or study the Lent course I pray that that will be your experience as we prepare during Lent to relive and celebrate Jesus’ passion and resurrection at Easter.

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Groove Armada Feat. Candi Staton - Love Sweet Sound.