REFLECTION
We kneel before our pastor, and those hands which have, on other days, fed us the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper now smear a rough cross on our foreheads with the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
This beautiful and humbling ritual is perhaps the clearest statement we will ever hear about our status as temporary. Humans are such transient and fragile beings, so unnecessary to the functioning of the universe. Our presence is precarious. We will search in vain for any guarantees of our continued health, future success, or, even, the promise of tomorrow.
Fortunately, we have a God who loves us and, for some divine mystery, values our presence. Let us then use these next 40 days to learn to lean on the One who keeps us around and prepare for the majesty, terror, and mystery of Easter Week.
WRITTEN BY | Kate Bowler, 2019
https://katebowler.com/pancakes-fat-tuesday-and-cheering-for-the-losing-team/
ENCOUNTERING JESUS
During Lent, we have the opportunity to live into greater faithfulness and away from the disordered ways we have become accustomed to. Using stories from the Gospel of John, this season’s Sunday sermons will focus on encounters with Jesus that teach what it means to be more authentically human. Themes such as courage, identity, and hope that emerge from these stories will encourage us as we make our way toward the cross.
Use the devotionals as your guide. On Sundays, the pastors will provide written and video mini-lessons on the book of John to support us as we seek meaning from the biblical passages and apply them to our lives. On other days, we can read members’ reflections, spend time with art, be inspired by poetry, and rest in a psalm. We journey through Lent as a community, and together, we will celebrate the resurrection at Easter.
WRITTEN BY | Garrell Keesler, Director of Adult Formation