THE Bishop of Taunton, the Rt Revd Ruth Worsley is taking on steps to live out Lent differently in 2016.

Bishop Ruth and the bishop of Bath & Wells, the Rt Revd Peter Hancock have committed to following an online campaign called 40 Acts.

Each day throughout the 40 days of Lent, they will undertake an act of generosity.

In addition to this Bishop Ruth has committed to practicing the alto saxophone for 40 days in an effort to be generous to herself.

Both bishops say their Lent activities will demand a level of self-discipline that is the hallmark of Lent as we reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice in the desert.

Bishop Ruth said: “I first took up the saxophone with my son over 12 years ago but since then I’ve rather neglected the opportunity to make the most of my gifts.

"This Lent I’ll be dusting off the saxophone and challenging myself to be disciplined enough to practice every day for 40 days. I might not be playing Baker Street by the end but I hope I can at least reopen my eyes to the opportunities God has given me.

"Playing the saxophone may not be a typical Lenten activity, but in modern times it can be a real challenge to make time for yourself and use the gifts you have been given. Disciplining yourself to find that time is important and not an indulgence.”

Those who sign up for the challenge, which is run by the Christian charity, Stewardship, will receive a daily email during Lent outlining the act of generosity for the day and a link to a daily blog post on generosity.

You can choose to receive tasks suited to your available time and budget and illustrated by a traffic light coding system: ‘green’ for generally free acts which take about five minutes; 15 minute ‘yellow’ tasks that can cost a couple of pounds; or tougher ‘red’ challenges.

The bishops have also invited the diocese to pray for all those who feel a sense that God is calling them to use their gifts in ministry and are using Lent as a time of reflection to consider whether to become ordained or a lay minister.