A Message from Ellen 2-19-20
February 18, 2020
Dear Friends,
Next Week we will begin the season of Lent. Lent is a six week Christian liturgical (worship and study) season that invites us to prepare for the right celebration of Easter.
Even though the culture does not support this statement, the biggest event of the year for Christians is Easter – not Christmas! For us, it is the death and resurrection of Jesus that gives hope, light and light to the world. His birth is important, but not in the same way as his life, death and resurrection.
Now, the good news about the relative little importance that our culture pays to Easter (the only things they can sell are candy and new clothes so Easter doesn’t have the commercial appeal or interest of Christmas), is that WE ARE FREE TO CELEBRATE LENT AND EASTER WITHOUT THE CULTURAL PRESSURE! So, what do you say? Let’s put the Christ back into Easter! 🙂
This year, your staff have chosen as our theme for Lent – Walking in the Way of Jesus! We are intentionally inviting all of us to do something different than we have done before. We will begin Lent with a Shrove Tuesday (or Mardi Gras!) Pancake Supper on Tuesday, February 25th. Then we will hold our traditional Ash Wednesday imposition of ashes at 6pm in the Sanctuary on Wednesday, February 26th (no supper that night). There are options for every age and stage that can be found in the Lenten Educational brochure that you received in the mail last week and that is located on our website under News and Events. For the first time, I will be leading a Lenten Contemplation Group for six Sunday afternoons. Please look at the Lenten Brochure and pick something, or do something of your own design to become more mindful of God’s presence with us.
Carlo Carretto wrote once (from The God Who Comes): “When there is a crisis in the Church, it is always here: a crisis of contemplation. The Church wants to feel able to explain about her spouse even when she has lost sight of him; even when, although she has not been divorced, she no longer knows his embrace, because curiosity has gotten the better of her and she has gone searching for other people and other things. . . . . at least, like children, we can say over and over again, tirelessly, ‘Spirit of God, reveal yourself to me, your child.’”
I invite you into the season of Lent and to practice your faith in old and new ways. Come with us as we attempt to walk in the way of Jesus.
Peace,
Ellen
Ellen Fowler Skidmore
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