Dear Church,
Ash Wednesday is this week, March 5th, and marks the beginning of Lent: 40 days, excluding Sundays, of preparing for Easter Sunday by following Jesus on his way to the cross. Lent is a a way to mark time together and is usually practiced by taking on some sort of discipline of fasting. We’ve written about that here in the past in case you want to learn more about this discipline or need help discerning what your fast could look like this year.
We also will have a 9am class during Lent focusing on the basics of the Christian faith. You are invited to join us for that class led by Fr. Ben.
This week we will celebrate Ash Wednesday together at 7pm in our sanctuary with Holy Eucharist with the Imposition of Ashes. The ashes signify our being made of and returning to dust; Lent is a season when we face and befriend the reality of our own mortality.
Consider this letter my invitation to you to join us in some kind of practice for this season. With the speed of our world and the frantic pace of our news cycle it can be hard to make the best us of our time in these ‘evil days’ as Paul calls them (Eph 5:16). One way to slow down – to take dominion of our time – is to mark days using the church calendar.
What habit can you cultivate during this season that offers your body to God? What fast (an intentional omission…see link above for more) could create space and ‘hunger’ in me that would get me more in touch and aware of my need for God?
As always, Fr. Ben and I are more than willing to chat with you personally about what the could look like if you need assistance or would like to know more.
Let us join together this season in repentance, hope, and expectancy; let us prepare our bodies with Christ for the cross and resurrection these next 40 days.
In the mercy of Christ,
Fr. Matt
