From the Pastor: On Lent and Being Human 

As we work together with Christ, we entreat you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.” Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!     
~ 2 Corinthians 6:1-2   

Dear Friends, 

We are about to enter the season of Lent, a season of preparation. We spend these forty days readying ourselves for the most joyful and greatest celebration of the Christian year:  Easter Sunday. Lent also gives us an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be human.  

There was a time when this reflection meant “think about our sins.” Nobody’s perfect, how could anyone be? But being human is far more complex than a binary of sin and grace. Instead, I recommend beginning with creation, with God playing in the mud like a joyful child, and we’re the mudpies. And then the startling information that God has created us in God’s own image. There are so many possibilities for what this means, but let’s start with two. First, it means that God has endowed us with dignity. God has ordained that we are, in some way, holy, and set apart for some particular purpose. Second, it means that we are beloved. God made us, to love us. It’s that simple. Launching into a Lenten headspace in which we are working to ferret out what’s wrong with us may not be the best approach! 

Instead, why not search the scriptures for the wisdom they can give us about the human condition? The scriptures offered for Lent certainly do that. They include everything from life-and-death testing in the wilderness to one of the most beloved homecoming stories you’ll ever hear. They go from a Psalm with a laser-like focus on sin to a psalm that blossoms with the relief of getting things off our chest and knowing that we are forgiven. There is an exquisite gift, a token of love. There is the sight of Jesus weeping over the city he loves.  

I invite you to an experience of Lent that examines our humanity in a way not designed to shame or scold, but to lift up its beauty and its challenges. I invite you to join us on Ash Wednesday, March 5th, and feel human touch marking you with the fleeting sign of ashes. Take this simple and beautiful reminder of our humanity with you on this journey.  

Grace and Peace,
Rev. Pat