|
|
Archived 03/05: A Message From the Pastor
Rev. Alice Ann Bonham
|
From the Pastor's Desk -- As I sit down to write this, I'm looking at my still decorated Christmas Tree and a variety of Christmas decorations sitting around my house. It's hard to imagine that Ash Wednesday and the Lenten Season begin in only two weeks. It doesn't seem right that Lent should follow this close to Christmas. Be that as it may, Lent is almost upon us. It took me quite awhile to figure out what I should and wanted to write. It seems to me that I keep saying the same thing about Lent and I wanted to find something new. The question of course is, "How much new is there to write about Ash Wednesday and Lent?" The Lenten Season is modeled after Jesus' forty-day journey in the desert after His baptism in the Jordan. Those forty days helped Jesus prepare for the work set before Him. Lent for us is designed to prepare us for Holy Week and Easter when we remember both the triumph of Palm Sunday, the tragedy of Good Friday and the joy of the empty tomb on Easter. I want to encourage us to benefit from this Season. I don't know what that looks like for everyone, but I have some suggestions. Try talking about your faith with someone who you never have before. Invite someone to join you for Sunday morning worship or to one of the Lenten suppers and program. How about reading a book by a well-known Christian writer (C.S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, Philip Yancy or any author you find interesting)? If you don't typically attend the Holy Week services, I would suggest you do. Our Maundy Thursday service is in Fellowship Hall around the tables (somewhat like the Last Supper). We have a brief worship service, the choir sings and we share in Communion. This year we're adding foot washing to the service. On Good Friday there will be a Community Service (the details will follow) and Friday evening we will have a Tenebrae service. Tenebrae is a service of light and shadow where, as the scriptures lessons that tell the story of Jesus' Passion are read, the lights and candles in the sanctuary are turned down and extinguished. If you've never experienced this service, ask someone who has, how powerful it can really be. Lent can be a powerful time of preparation for us to open ourselves to anything that God may have in store for our lives. It will be a powerful time of preparation for us if we will make even the smallest effort. I encourage each of you in that effort and pray that you will find new ways to experience all that this season has to offer. May God bless you richly in the days and weeks to come, Pastor Alice Ann |
| Current: |
| Current Pastoral Message |