And very early in the morning . . .
Gateway Covenant Church and friends gather on the river bank – or wherever we can in that direction as snow permits – and we remember and begin the celebration of this glorious event.
And then we come inside to enjoy the warmth and breakfast. I must go and begin the preparations.
Happy and Blessed Easter
And very tired.
Conference was very good in so many ways – in connections with people; in inspirational speaking; in challenging stories; in new ideas for old programs. Oh, yeah, and the food was terrific.
My sister was there and I love being with her. She amazes me with her energy and passion for the Sudanese families she has befriended, for the children she teaches and with her interest in helping other cultures. I think I absorb energy just by being around her and come away inspired myself. She gave me a new book called Sex and Money produced by The Voice for The Voiceless. It is gut wrenching to read and look at. It is pretty hard to stay untouched by the women’s stories and the photography.
It was also good to do some spiritual direction. Listening and attending to the movement of God in people’s stories also nourishes my soul as does the privilege of praying with and for others. God is good.
Just a bit of a new look.
The geese are back. The river ice is beginning to look mushy.
Sunrise service is planned on the riverbank by our house. It is suposed to be +8 tomorrow and if it actually is, we will be able to have it without shoveling snow.
Filed under church, Day to Day
Protestants don’t really observe this day that marks the beginning of Lent in a very significant way. It comes and it goes largely unnoticed. It begins the season of Lent that we also let slip by mostly unnoticed due to those past efforts to distance ourselves from Catholicism. But times are changing and I think we are rethinking the reasons for that old distance and as we do so, it has narrowed from unbridgeable chasms to little cracks in the path of life that we can step over from time to time.
I am recognizing more and more my need for the celebration of seasons in my mostly unliturgical life. I am beginning to recognize that I need physical type reminders – signs of who I am and what my life needs to be about. So, in the last few years, and especially since Wednesday morning is a regular morning of prayer, I have been concious of the beginning of Lent, of Ash Wednesday. I haven’t gone so far as to dab my forehead with ashes although I think that it could have a powerful meaning for me, be a powerful reminder of my need for repentance, of my constant need for grace.
I have not ritually started “giving up” something for Lent. Last year instead, I decided to concentrate instead on some aspect of my life that needs taking up in new ways. I suppose that means giving up an old way in itself. I’m not sure just what that will be yet but I know that my life gets very busy and I tend to concentrate on my needs rather than those of anyone else around me. I need to conciously put others first and maybe that is exactly what I need to do for the next 40 days – and thereafter.
Filed under Reflections
The ideas that Jordon speaks about here keep popping back into my head.
I think these changes that make our communities better places are part of what we are called to as Christians, a huge part of how we are to influence our world to become safer more loving places to live.
Read what he says. It is worth your time.
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