2007 Partners Magazine Lent Edition

Fruits of Love and Hope

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” (John 15:16)

These words which Jesus spoke to his disciples are particularly appropriate for us 2000 years later, as we begin to reflect on our Christian journey in the season of Lent. Lent is a time for considering what God is calling us to do in our lives and for ABM, it is a particularly appropriate time to share stories of faith-bearingfruit within our own Anglican Church of Australia and in our Partner churches overseas.

During the season of Lent, ABM provides resources to parishes and groups to tell more stories of the exciting work of the Anglican Church as it seeks to bear fruit: fruit of love and hope, fruit of improved health and greater educational opportunities, fruit of strengthened communities and greater advocacy for justice.

Inside this edition of Partners you’ll find information about our Lent resources (see pages 6 and 7), and also some of the ways in which your generous donations help to bear fruit around the world.

Lent is also, traditionally, a time of fasting. When I was growing up, I understood the concept of fasting as a strict penitence and denial, something like the poor character in the film Chocolat who longs for jam on his croissant.

It was only later that I began to see fasting as a positive way of offering up something small to God, to say – ‘I don’t really need this little thing because I affirm that God provides all things’.

ABM’s Fast Food Fast is an opportunity to offer up those extra coffees, salad wraps or muffins to God, and to donate the money saved to the work of our Partners as they seek to bear fruit that will last. This year, the staff of ABM have taken on the challenge ourselves.

Will I stare longingly at the coffee cart on my morning walk to work? Perhaps, but the $3 I save each day will add up to an amount which could provide something much more meaningful for the Melanesian Brothers in PNG, or villagers in the Philippines. Will you join us? (See pages 6 and 7 for more details.)

Linda Kurti
Executive Director

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