Ash Wednesday
The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent is the season during which the church historically did the final preparations for new Christians to baptised at Easter. It is the season in which we recall Jesus' time in the wilderness in preparation for his public ministry. Now the church often encourages us to renew our trust in God and deepen our faith through fasting, prayer and study of the scriptures.The World Day of Prayer Service 2022 will take place on Friday 4 March 2022 at 2pm at the Baptist Church, Field Way Mill End WD3 7EL. It is being prepared and presented by women from the Baptist, Roman Catholic, Methodist and Anglican churches of Rickmansworth and Mill End.
The service this year has been composed by the women of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and is based around a verse from the beginning of Jeremiah 29 “I know the plans I have for you”. The theme is one of hope, symbolised by the lighting of candles and the planting of seeds. We reflect on the experience of the exiles of Israel and Judah, and also on the history of our own nations, our colonisation of many places around the world, and that many British citizens originally came from places we colonised. So we celebrate a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-faith society, and both the things we have in common and our diversity.
Although the service is prepared and presented by women, we hope that both men and women will come and celebrate and worship God with us.