Lent

It is an unhappy truth that we live in a culture today where the words people often put in the same sentence with the word "Jesus” range from "judgmental" and "homophobic" to “optional.” Maybe even worse is the adjective “nice” (meaning, easily dismissed or unimportant).

Our congregation’s terms for naming who that Jesus guy is are very different. A few years ago as one of our prayer stations in worship we spelled out words in Scrabble tiles to complete this sentence, “Come Lord Jesus and be our (_________).

Here are some of our answers - Be our…

Adventure

Future/Hope

Healer

Leader

Omega

Rabbi/Teacher

Listener/Guide

LORD/Savior

Qi (life force)

I make this observation between a cultural view of Jesus and our congregational view to underscore how important it is for us to be true to our congregation’s mission: To make God visible.

These 40 days of Lent come with the invitation to gather around soup tables on Wednesdays and our Lord’s Table on weekends. Let’s make room at our home tables to practice hospitality and invite friends to join us for a meal this month.

These 40 days of Lent let us continue to explore a variety of ways to talk and listen to God in prayer both together and as individuals. Practice sharing highs and lows (the Examen) and holding others in prayer.

The happy truth is that the world hungers for what we know. This community of dignity and respect that comes through meal sharing and the centered calmness of a deepening prayer life with God.

Inspired by the cross — by our God of adventure, hope, new beginnings, deep love — let us make this God visible for people to see among us, and trust that it is enough.

May God bless our Easter preparation.

Lent - the word comes from the old English word for "spring," a reference not only to what is happening in the natural world but also what is happening in the spiritual world.

See you in church (and out and about being church!)

Pastor Mike