Dear Friends,
On Ash Wednesday the United Women of Faith led us in worship (Beth Hayward even writing the liturgy). It was a beautiful and meaningful gathering.
This Sunday morning we will begin worship with the imposition of ashes (making the sign of the cross in ash on your forehead), created from burning the palms from last year’s Palm Sunday celebration. Our lay leaders, Rich and Alex, will be imposing the ashes, and young people from our congregation, Marshall and Eleanor, will be joining them.
An anonymous poet wrote many years ago:
Ashes
-powdery-grey
from keeping on trying
to get a spark from two stones
-streaky black
from relighting a candle
that keeps going out
-soft white
from a fire that burned down to its heart
and kept everyone warm
these are ashes worth wearing.
There are ancient practices associated with the season of Lent. In modern days, they have often been reduced to “what are you giving up for Lent.”
At the heart of all of the habits and practices of Lent is the intention this be a season of self-reflection.
I invite you to this season and practices of a Holy Lent.
Keep tellin’ the Story,
Mike
One of my favorite Lenten pieces of music is “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.”
Here are the four takeaways from this week’s Loop:
- Our own Beth Hayward wrote and led Ash Wednesday liturgy.
- Get some ashes on Sunday (at the beginning of worship!)
- There are practices associated with Lent – oriented around self-examination.
- Let’s go!