Made with Xara Article for February 2012 Venerable Simon Golding. Dear Friends, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, the 22 February. In the introduction to the Liturgy for that day we are given the following guidance: “Brothers and sisters in Christ, since early days Christians have observed with great devotion the time of our Lord's passion and resurrection. It became the custom of the Church to prepare for this by a season of penitence and fasting.  At first this season of Lent was observed by those who were preparing for Baptism at Easter and by those who were to be restored to the Church's fellowship from which they had been separated through sin. In course of time the Church came to recognize that, by a careful keeping of these days, all Christians might take to heart the call to repentance and the assurance of forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel, and so grow in faith and in devotion to our Lord.” This is an introduction to our Lent course for 2012. I am sure that by the time we get to the Olympics in August we will have heard more information that we can digest about the Games. The York Course this year picks up the Olympic theme of Handing on the Torch. The flame for the Games will be kindled on Mount Olympus and then transported by a variety of means to London.  We will be most familiar with the carrying of the Olympic Torch by the series of runners that will criss-cross the United Kingdom, passing no further than 10 miles from every community. One of the most exciting events of the Games is the final of the 4 x 100 metres relay race. Despite all the hours of training the result depends upon the safe transfer of the baton on three occasions to ensure that it is carried from start to finish. Passing the Baton, like Handing on the Torch, means that each stage is as important as every other one and that the concept of an unbroken transmission is maintained and guaranteed. In church terms it is the Episcopate and the Apostolic Succession that marks the ‘catholic’ nature of the church and the authenticity of the gospel and the ministry down the ages. This year’s Course “sacred words for a secular world” is written by Canon John Young and the 5 sessions are introduced by Dr David Hope and supported by The Archbishop John Sentamu, Rachel Lampard a Methodist, Clifford Longley a Roman Catholic and Bishop Graham Cray, Leader of Fresh Expressions. Details of the sessions of the Course across the Benefice will be published in the churches and I invite you to try and attend them if you can.  We are holding the Baton in our generation and we all need to be equipped to understand what Handing on the Torch really means. Keep a Good Lent! Simon Golding. “The Gap year’. Rev Lynn Thorius For those of you, who do not know me or have not yet met me, let me introduce myself. My name is The Reverend Lynn Thorius. I live in the village of Hornby, which lies between Appleton Wiske and Great Smeaton. My husband Robert and I have lived there since 2002. I completed my Theological training in June 2011 and was Ordained Deacon in Ripon Cathedral on the 3^rd July, 2011, and what a wonderful day that was. I am serving my Curacy with the East Richmond Team Ministry and the  Venerable Simon Golding who is my Training Minister, and of course the whole team who all contribute to my development, learning and formation. I am very aware that my duties so far have been very much been concentrated in the eastern half of the benefice. However, when Priested in July this position will change and I will be spending more time in the western part of the benefice. When I began writing this reflection, I realised that I was writing this almost eight months into my Deacon’s year or ‘Gap year ’. In many ways it has flown by.  Lynn Thorius It seems a long way from the actual ordination. All I can say at this stage is this is a marvellous journey; the God I know now is quite different from the one I started with. I too am changing, I have discovered parts of myself that I did not know existed and in doing so I have learned and grown in love and grace. No theological college or formation for ministry training can prepare you for the grace and gift of living the real thing. Being caught up in so many different experiences of ministry, meeting new people and adjusting to a totally new way of doing God’s ministry has been amazing. We, Robert and I, have been adjusting to a new way of life and routine, this is our shared vocation. There have been obvious new dimensions.  Firstly my liturgical role and function, leading worship, which is a gift and an honour. However, not without its logistic difficulties!.  I was told when I graduated from theological college; ‘if you are going to get it wrong do it this year’ and I have on some occasions made some mistakes, believe me you never forget them. With 13 churches in the Benefice each with their own tradition and service format, I have had and will continue to have a steep learning curve. However, everyone has been gracious and supportive. I can recall a wonderful occasion during a service when I announced the Hymn for the offertory and received this response from the congregation ‘oh no it isn’t’ we all laughed. My confidence has grown in these nine months since I have been part of the ERTM, not least because of the love and support I have been given by so many in the Benefice. I have been privileged to do everyday things for instance, listening to people, being alongside people, in many different circumstances.   I’m someone who always looks forward.  Yes, I look back and reflect and evaluate.  On reflection I have come to a deeper understanding of what the Deacon’s year is about. It is in many ways about waiting, waiting for the fulfilment of God’s call to be a Priest in the Church of God. The year is simply not there as a foundational training but a period of reflecting on the full meaning of servanthood, humility and patience! Bless you all. Lynn Thorius