God says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among
the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The LORD Almighty is with
us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Our life of faith is about being intentional about building our relationship with God. God longs for us to lean in, to draw close, to rely on and trust God. And when we don’t notice God and go our own way, God continues to pursue us. Between the crumbling stones, the water can seep, the plants can grow and light can get through. God can work with whoever we are, however we are feeling about life. It is in our noticing God and turning around to
draw near to him that our greatest rewards are found.
Just like this stone wall is foundational, our relationship with God is the bedrock of our life. We are thankful for the congregational members who have shared their stories. This takes courage and trust in God. Thank you for receiving them with grace and appreciation. It is in the stories of others that we find our own voice and realize that
The Season of Lent
Lent is the season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. The season of Lent is a preparation for celebrating Easter. Easter is the first Sunday, after the first full moon, after the vernal equinox. For this reason, Easter is never the same date two years in a row.
Lent is a time for penance by all Christians. The First Sunday describes Jesus’ temptation by Satan; and the Sixth Sunday (Passion/Palm Sunday), Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his subsequent suffering and death. Because Sundays are always little Easters, the penitential spirit of Lent should be tempered with joyful expectation of the Resurrection.
Ash Wednesday emphasizes a dual encounter: we confront our own mortality and confess our sin before God within the community of faith. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship, and the Imposition of Ashes can be a powerful nonverbal and experiential way of participating in the call to repentance and reconciliation.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and continues through the great three days from sunset on Holy Thursday through sunset Easter day. This is the climax of Lent and the whole Christian year, and a bridge into the Easter season. These days proclaim the mystery of Jesus Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. During these days, the community journeys with Jesus from the upper room, to the cross, to the tomb, and to the garden.