Welcome to the season of Lent! For those of you who are new to Lent and what it’s all about (or those who just need a quick review), here’s a brief, simplified version:
Lent is a 40 day period leading up to Easter Sunday. This 40 day period begins on Ash Wednesday and excludes all Sundays (because Sundays are for celebrating the Risen Christ!). In the ancient church, this period was an intense time of spiritual preparation for those getting baptized on Easter. They fasted and they prayed, and they read and studied scriptures. It was also a time in which those who had been cut off (or out) of the Christian community undertook acts of repentance and prepared to re-enter the community. Eventually, rather than having only certain people take part in the 40 days, the whole church was encouraged to do so. And so here we are! As you might have noticed, the 40 days is also significant for the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness immediately (!) following his baptism, as well as being reminiscent of the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert before entering the Promised Land. To sum it all up, Lent is a season in which we open our hearts and seek – intentionally and through discipline - to return and re-align ourselves with God and God’s Way. We commit to self-examination and repentance, and to those practices – new or old – that support us in finding our way back to God.
Aren’t you excited?! I am!
This year, after reflecting on the Hebrew (Old) Testament scriptures of the lectionary, after listening to the tempo of the congregation, and after being inspired by our own Wendy Lee, we settled on a theme for the season: The Practice of Encountering Others: Building Community through Covenant, Commitment and Companionship. That’s a mouthful isn’t it? Our hope is to take advantage of the season to:
- Invite and examine our commitment to God, one another, and the wider world. What does it mean to commit to love and follow God? What does that look like in our daily lives? What – if anything – does our commitment to God mean to our relationship with others and the world?
- Explore what covenants are and what they have to do with building meaningful community. What are covenants? Why did God covenant with people (and all creation)? How might covenants enable meaningful, faithful, accountable relationships?
- Try on supportive, accountable spiritual companionship. How might we go deeper and go stronger with each other? How might walking with one another – intentionally – grow and transform us?
Our theme is not only a mouthful, but it is also bold and ambitious. And, I believe, it holds great possibility, life-giving possibility, for us, both individually and as a community.
So let’s throw on some scruffy clothes, grab a pair of gloves, and slip into comfy work boots – we’re about to embark on a journey that will take a bit of work. We’re about to embark on a season that invites us to stay open, try on new ways of being, and welcome God’s Holy Spirit to transform us!
Lenten blessings,
Pastor Emily