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Lent envelopes the entire month of March. We hear friends of other
traditions talking about giving up coffee or chocolate or another treat
for Lent. In recent years, there has been an emphasis on taking on
something rather than giving up something.
Can we take on ways of sharing Christ’s love with others? Here are
some ideas: invite a friend to church, pray with someone who has shared a problem or sorrow, utilize wise management of your time, release stress and tension from various people.
The late Brother Roger of Taizé wrote, “When the heart is wounded or humiliated, it finds peace by entrusting to God, without waiting a single moment, those who have offended or mistreated it” (Ateliers et Presses de Taizé). In other words…let it go! Can we do that?
Who knows what God asks us to give up or take on? Some people might need to learn to say, “No,” when asked to do things that will over schedule and thereby overtax them. We sometimes feel like we always have to say, “Yes,” to whatever we are asked to do. Personally, I may get frustrated when folks say, “No,” when I need someone’s services. However, I’d rather get that answer than to have someone overdo it just because I asked them.
If you are able, join us on Thursday evenings at 6 pm in the fellowship hall for pizza and worship—maybe it should be “Pizza, Prayer and Praise?” What do you think? Our theme will be “Making Change.” Change is hard and we will be working on that issue together.
A lot of people react to Lent with an “Argh!” I actually like Lent
because it is an opportunity for us to slow down and to take stock of our spiritual lives. God makes us God’s own in holy baptism, calling us to live lives of faith for God and our neighbor. We know however, that we cannot do this in our own s enabled to do what God would have us do as his beloved children.
What is God saying to you this Lent?
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Ivy
Pastor's Message
March 2023
