Lent 2025 on the Bluff
As we enter the holy season of Lent, we are invited to a journey of reflection, renewal, and deepening faith. This year, we are coming together for a special Lenten programme, Walking Together: A Lenten Journey of Faith and Renewal. This six-session course offers a meaningful opportunity to explore the heart of Lent - prayer, Scripture, worship, fellowship, and service - while journeying together as one body of Christ.
The sessions will take place on Sunday evenings at 6:00 PM, with three gatherings at Union Church, two at Christ Church with a final session at Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral. Each session will focus on a distinct yet interconnected aspect of our Lenten journey:
This course is designed to offer a variety of experiences - study, discussion, prayer, worship, and community-building. Whether you are a lifelong Christian or someone seeking deeper meaning in this season, this programme welcomes you into a shared pilgrimage of faith. We invite all members of our participating churches to commit to this Lenten programme as a way of preparing their hearts for Easter. Come, be part of this journey, and discover how walking together can deepen your faith and renew your spirit.
As we enter the holy season of Lent, we reflect deeply on the boundless grace of God, made manifest to us through the profound love of Jesus Christ, who endured the cross and rose again for our salvation.
Jesus walked the path to the cross, carrying the burden of our weaknesses, failings, envy, and hatred. His life was a testimony of God’s love for each and every one of us, demonstrating how we, too, are called to love and forgive one another.
May we cherish and respect all life, including the natural world, and may our Lenten journey be one of renewal as we trust in the life of the Risen Lord.
The Season of Lent
Lent is a time to heighten our awareness of faith in daily life - offering ourselves to Christ and to others through acts of devotion, engaging in Lenten self-denial and charitable giving, and deepening our understanding of the faith in a spirit of repentance. It is a journey marked by the penitential color purple, leading us toward the joyful celebration of the Resurrection, represented by the color white.
(From "The Word of the Lord for Sundays" by Noriyasu Mori)
Lenten Self-Denial Offering
Since 1950, the Anglican Church of Japan (NSKK) has observed the sacred tradition of the Lenten Self-Denial Offering, which supports mission work both in Japan and overseas.
The offering serves two primary purposes:
- Missionary cooperation with churches abroad and other Christian denominations.
- Supporting new evangelistic initiatives within the dioceses of the Anglican Church of Japan.
Planned Allocations for 2025
1. International and Ecumenical Mission Cooperation
- Emergency disaster relief
- Support for Asia and Africa
- Peace and reconciliation efforts in the Asia-Pacific region
- Ministry to Japanese congregations abroad
- Overseas mission collaboration projects
- Ecumenical partnership activities
- Peace education initiatives
- Various other mission-related activities
2. New Evangelistic Projects in Japan
Under the Domestic Evangelism Strengthening Project, up to 10 million yen from the Lenten Self-Denial Offering is allocated to support new ministries and initiatives. Although no applications were received this year, we continue to pray for and support the various evangelistic efforts carried out by churches and dioceses across the country. (This year’s funds will be reserved for future use.)
Since its inception, this project has helped establish 11 new mission congregations and launch 17 new ministries, strengthening outreach efforts in local communities. We are deeply grateful for the prayers and generous support that have sustained churches and mission activities across Japan and beyond.
During Lent, we encourage you to place the Lenten Self-Denial Offering envelope somewhere visible in your home and to make offerings throughout the 40 days of Lent as a spiritual discipline. Each day, reflect on your Lenten commitment—overcoming selfish desires and practicing self-denial—and place your offering in the envelope.
On Easter Sunday, all our individual sacrifices will come together as a collective gift, empowering the Church’s mission. May this Lenten season be a time of spiritual growth and renewal for all.
General Secretary, Nippon Sei Ko Kai
Rev. Essai Yahagi
