Bishop Christopher is inviting every Anglican in Southwark to reflect upon what it means to be a Christian and how we live  out and express our common faith in communion with Christians in our church, workplaces and throughout the world. 

To help us in our self-examination, Bishop Christopher draws our focus to three essential characteristics, Faith, Hope and Love.  These are what mark us as Christian and shape the way we understand ourselves and the world. Bishop calls this self-examination a ‘Call to Mission’, recognising that the way we express our Faith, Hope and Love  in our daily lives will shape the lives of the people we meet and come alongside. 

Bishop Christopher, in the footsteps of St Peter and St Paul is asking us to reflect and meditate upon Faith, Hope and Love and to find our own way to articulate what they mean in the light of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  This spiritual exercise is offered as our Lenten discipline.

Each of us will be given a personal envelope from the Bishop with a leaflet that includes a letter of invitation and some ideas to help us explore Faith, Hope and Love.  There is also a Prayer Card, which you are invited to use throughout Lent and two Response Cards—one is for you to retain (and so you can be as personal as you like on this card) and one for you to bring with you on Easter Day (you may want to be a little more reserved in what you write on this card!), when there will be an opportunity during the Mass, for us to bring our reflections together.

Throughout Lent, there will be three prayer stations for Faith, Hope and Love and a graffiti board in the north aisle to help us in this exercise.   If you have any ideas to encourage one another, please let the vicar or wardens know.

No-one is too young or too old to accept the Bishop of Southwark’s invitation and no parish in Southwark is exempt!  I encourage you to give this your best.   

Please be assured of my prayers.

Revd Beverley