LENT: Seeing Again for the First Time

The season of Lent is traditionally associated with self-examination, self-denial, and penitence.  But interestingly, the word “Lent” has origins that have to do with springtime and its associations with making it through the cold, dark winter into warmth, lengthening days, and new life coming forth afresh from what appears to be the lifeless remains of last summer.  

At our Ash Wednesday services last week (thank you Rev. Carol Fox, Martha Conant, and Rev. Rebecca McFee!), not only did we receive the traditional ashes, reminding us of our mortality and our dependence for our lives upon God and God's grace, but we were anointed with oil with the words, "Be healed", pointing us to the promise of new life at the end of the Lenten journey.  I am going to focus my spiritual energy along these lines this year.  For all the Ash Wednesday services I have been to and for all the Lenten seasons I have experienced, this slant was new to me – it was almost like I was seeing that old, familiar season of Lent for the first time.

With this in mind, I invite you to join us in the traditional worship services over the next several weeks as we experience how this special season can help us see our familiar faith with fresh eyes – almost like “seeing again for the first time”, which is our Lenten worship theme this year.

If you want to prepare ahead of time, read through the story of Jesus’ healing of the man born blind in the 9^th chapter of the Gospel of John.  You’ll see why I entitled the sermon, “And I Thought NOT Seeing Could be Dangerous!”  And if you really want to prepare ahead of time, do some research on the Jewish feast of "Tabernacles" (or "Booths" or "Sukkot"). You will see fascinating connections between Jesus' ministry with the blind man and "water", the Pool of Siloam, and "light".

Also, let's remember to keep our Guatemala Mission Team in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers.  They leave early in the morning on Friday, March 14th.

See you Sunday,

Steve

><>