The
Church’s liturgical calendar is structured around seasons which
flow from Advent and Christmas through Epiphany and into Lent,
Easter, and Pentecost, followed by the long period known as Ordinary
Time and then back once again to Advent. Each season has its own
character and its own themes. One of the gifts which comes with
paying attention to such a calendar of seasons is the opportunity to
really immerse ourselves in the themes. The truth is that we may or
may not be experiencing the realities represented by the various
seasons when that season is occurring. The joy of Christmas may not
be ours at that moment. The wonder of Epiphany may not resonate with
where we find ourselves on January 6th.
The notions of sacrifice and reflection which present themselves
during Lent may seem foreign to us. But the seasons allow us a chance
to “try them on” so that when we do find ourselves in such
circumstances we will have some spiritual resources available to us
which can be brought to bear.
On
February 10th
we will once again enter the season of Lent, which is 40 days (not
counting Sundays) preceding Easter. It is a season which offers us
the chance to explore some of the “darker” aspects of life –
sacrifice, loss, suffering, betrayal, etc. This year our worship
experiences during Lent will, in one way or another, center around
the theme of wilderness. I hope you will take the opportunity to
allow this season to be a time of spiritual exploration and growth as
together we discover what it means to be people of faith even in
challenging times.
-
Pastor Roger
(keeping
my feet firmly planted in the flow)
