Preparing for Lent

Dear People of Christ Church,

This past Monday, we had our first vestry meeting with our new 2011 team. It was great! This parish is lead by such a talented group of people, and it is a gift to be able to work together discerning the dream of God in this community.


This Sunday, a group will be meeting at 8:45 AM to plan for Lenten liturgy. We observe the changes in the season in many ways as part of our worship-the music, prayers, even the colors used serve to draw us into a particular experience. Why are we meeting at 8:45? Choir begins at 9:15, so we want as many people as possible to be able to come. It's early, but I promise there will be coffee. For Lent, (starting March 13) we'll convene a spiritual practice group, also at that hour, to invite conversation on how our Lenten disciplines are treating us...or, maybe, how we are treating them. Choir members can leave for choir at 9:15, and others can either continue talking or move into the church for silent meditation. We'll have some beautiful photographs of the stations of the cross from (Roman Catholic) Westminster Cathedral to hang in the church to pray with as well.



Our Lenten Tuesday night series, beginning on March 15, will meet as we always do for Eucharist at 6:30 and dinner and conversation at 7:15. This year, we'll be reading Archbishop Rowan Williams' Resurrection. It is a little dense, but it's also short, so we'll just be reading about 25 pages a week. I'd like us to begin with chapter one, so please let me know if you'd like to participate and I'll order you a book. It's $11.00. The book is an amazing meditation on resurrection-not just "THE resurrection"-an event in a distant time-but resurrection in general. Williams writes, "To speak of the resurrection of Jesus is also to speak of one's own humanity as healed, renewed, restored, recentered in God." In Easter season we'll celebrate confirmation/reception of new Episcopalians-please let me know if you're interested in this or the introduction to the Episcopal Church class.





For more information on Lenten doings, please visit the Lent and Holy Week page on our website.


Blessings,

Sara+