From March 12: Lent

The word "lent" comes from the Old English world "lencten," for the lengthening of days. With daylight savings time having started last Sunday and the last few snow storms finally passing, I'm starting to actually believe that spring-and Easter-are coming. After a long winter like this, though, I've had a hard time believing that spring will actually come. Whenever we talk about the weather Marcia always reminds me about the snowstorm that came one June, and we're not out of the woods yet.

Of course, in the church, Easter always follows Lent-in the Gospels Jesus never talks about his suffering and death without talking about his resurrection. That can be harder for us to remember, though, in the midst of our darkest times, when even the ordinary days of Pentecost seem an impossibility, much less the joy of Easter. As he called from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" I think that was probably Jesus' experience as well. He knows what it feels like.

Where are you in your Lent?
Is it feeling like Lent to you, or like Advent, or just like an ordinary time? The church year brings our attention to certain aspects of human life, but our own spirits aren't necessarily always there. Noah's and my honeymoon ended up being in Lent, and I assure you that it was not what I would call penitential. But this year I am feeling like Lent. It seems like everyone in my house has been sick since Christmas. It's cold. Even the dog is pitiful, since he was neutered this week and isn't allowed to run around. As I pray my Lenten discipline of being mindful of my time, I'm all too aware of how little time it seems that there is. It is definitely Lent.

But Easter is coming. We get glimpses of it here and there. At our book group on Tuesday, we had a wonderful discussion about belief, and mystery, and what Helen Keller, who wrote about how faith is a state of mind, might say to Penn Jillette, whose essay was about how there is no God. In the liturgy on Sundays we receive the Body of Christ-we are reminded that we are the Body of Christ. We are nourished, though, not just for ourselves, but for what it enables us to do. One of my favorite lines in all the prayer book comes from the Eucharistic prayer we're using now--Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal. The grace of God isn't given us just to make us feel better; coming to church on Sunday isn't just a spiritual "pick-me-up." We are forgiven to empower us to live freer, more generous lives; we are fed to enable us to feed others.
Blessings,
Sara+

In the Wider Community
Hearts Alive! Gulf Coast Benefit Art Show
Artist Lori Gordon: March 27-28 Trinity Church, Boston: Proceeds support St Anna's Episcopal Church's Medical Van in New Orleans. Click Here.

Spaghetti Dinner and Raffle
Saturday, March 28, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Fundraiser for Community Day Center of Waltham, a day shelter supporting homeless and low-income adults. Hosted by First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 6 Eddy St., Waltham. Adults $7, children $5 in advance or at door. email director@communitydaycenter.org