We as a community began our journey of Lent on Wednesday around bonfires with marshmallows, with smudged faces, walking a labyrinth, lighting candles and desiring on some level to return our hearts to God.

Remember that you are dust

No one just drove by to get ashes, as we lovingly dubbed the evening “drive-through ashes” or “ashes to go.” Everyone parked their cars and lingered a while. Some people joined for the first time since the pandemic, while others joined for the very first time ever after seeing our signs on the street- what a joy. Others, with familiar grins on their faces, leapt out of the car and ran towards the marshmallows and then perfected their roasting techniques. Two contained bonfires welcomed everyone- fires of welcome, fires of warmth, fires of transformation. When a sizable gathering formed, we held pop-up worship around the fire, where we read the Joel scripture above, recited a Lenten litany, then took ash which we smudged each other’s foreheads saying: “remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Return to God with all your heart

Reminding each other of our shared mortality is a sacred privilege. We welcomed each other back to our impermanence, back to earth, back to the blackened fertility of soil to which we will someday return. Back to the vastness of the cosmos, for astronomer Carl Sagan says, “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” We are loved beyond our wildest imaginations. So how do we want to live? The labyrinth gave plenty of time for contemplative reflection about our journey with God- thank you so much to the Labyrinth Mission Team for hosting such a meaningful experience and for everyone who joined- your presence enhanced the experience. I could almost hear God’s invitation, “Return to me with all your heart.”

The center of the Labyrinth:God’s Lap

This different kind of Ash Wednesday service was perhaps the most people we have ever had walk the labyrinth, I heard. We had upwards of 80 people come by, with at least 40 of them being children and parents. I think the children could tell we tried to make this event accessible to them, to create new and fresh ways to encounter ancient rituals. One of my favorite parts was walking the labyrinth- I went in with a new person to show her the space and we decided to walk the labyrinth. It was relatively empty when we began, and halfway through a bunch of kids and families joined in and the kids started quietly RUNNING the labyrinth and when they got to the middle they brought all the cushions and blankets they could find and made the middle a big cozy cuddled up circle- it was the place to BE. They made space for everyone who got to the middle, including me and the new person. It felt exactly like the lap of God might feel. We sat in silence with some sweet whispers here and there. It was heavenly.

Lent creates space for sorrow

Lent invites us inward for a journey of contemplation. For Lent we metaphorically follow Jesus into the desert wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights, ultimately leading to his journey to the cross. Lent invites us to process some of the depths of our human experience, by creating space for our sorrow, our longing, our grief, and ultimately our hope in the face of violence and despair. Our faith tells us that love is stronger than death.

Presence instead of rushing

For Lent this year the word Presence keeps coming to me. I personally feel a strong invitation from God to be present to life exactly as it is. Not trying to go back to the past, not trying to control the future, but being present, radically and radiantly present in the now. Personally I have felt myself rushing, striving toward the future in ways that take me away from the present. My Lenten practice will be striving for presence, to feel God blessing the mundane of exactly where I am now. Do you have a word, or intention for Lent?

Well done, good & faithful ones

This week our Justice Jam met, with the intention to Plan More Things. We often find ourselves in a place of SO much to care about and do to make the world better. It can be exhausting and depleting, with hearts wide open to the suffering in the world, especially when we know God longs for justice.

We have just began our 9am Social Justice Programming, and the inaugural session on Immigration Justice was just tremendous. At the Justice Jam meeting we found ourselves processing what went right, why it was good, how we might mimic it for the next presentations. We decided together instead of Planning More Things, to relax into the momentum of what was already in motion. “Well done, good and faithful servant,” are words that sometimes we pastors say at the bedside of someone who is departing from this life. Why not say it more often in this life?

Good Enough:Mid-Week Devotionals with Julia, Wednesday 5:30pm-6pm March 16 – April 6

I am reading a book right now that helps me with the intention of being present to the now, knowing that God blesses the mundane and the “good enough,” of life rather than perfect faith- Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals For a Life of Imperfection by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie. I will hold 4 sessions of a mid-week devotional over ZOOM at 5:30-6pm on March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6. I will lead a devotional for about 10 minutes and then we will have about 20 minutes to connect and chat. I would love to have you join for any or all of these.

Here is the ZOOM link: Good Enough

and if it is easier to copy and paste:

us02web.zoom.us/j/83418572981pwd=bzNhVFRWbGFsZVhRZmg1cFRRdjlxdz09

A week pause for presence

This coming week from March 7-14 I will be away and unplugging from email for a Lenten pause. I will focus my time on being present with my family and I will read to prepare for our devotional time. Pastor Ken will preach on March 13th and it will be wonderful to hear from him. I look forward to this journey toward Easter with you.

Abundant blessings to you as we begin our Lenten journey together,

Pastor Julia