Dear People of Grace,
We have stepped into Lent, an ancient season that invites us to prepare for Holy Week and the deeply powerful and symbolic events around Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is a time to pay attention both to where we are and to where the Spirit is calling us to go. It is a time of growth and intentionality. This year, we have worked to intentionally craft a sequence of Sunday services that invite us all into a space of depth and reflection. I asked Lynn Swanson, our Director of Music and Organist to reflect on what Lent means to her—especially from her groundedness in music—what she wrote is beautiful. Here are her words:
In my mind, the season of Lent is intended to be a time to come home. It is a time to return to one’s core and reflect not only our relationship with our God, but on the relationship we have with ourselves and the souls that surround us, chosen or not. It is a time to become intimate with our feelings, to sift through the noise, to be still and to be present. It is a time to feel our breath and a time to listen to our breath for that is what is at the very center of our ability to exist. For me, it is a time to also understand “Here I am, As I am, in the world as it is . . . Alive to my state of being”.
We will let the music during this season bring us home. We will chant Psalms together. we will hear chant sung in Hebrew and we will hear chant sung in contemporary settings. We will use some of these settings during the homily and some during the Offertory and the Communion time. My hope is that our chanting together or apart from one another will restore our breath, steady our minds and nurture our core with the end result being a deeper well in which we may reside, beyond this time of Lent.
So, as we look into Lent, I invite you to soak up this rich experience as we share in this prayerful space.
Stuart+
COG offers a summer camp for children age 6 months to rising 1st graders each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Children enjoy weeks with fun themes and different activities. The first session will run from May 30 – June 22 and the second from July 5-27. Tuition is $350 for one or $650 for both. Registration for summer 2023 opens February 27.
We conclude the current four-part series on the theme of violence in the biblical texts on Sunday February 26 at 9:30 in the Chapel. In this final segment, we will explore the theme of violent death as a divine and atoning sacrifice on behalf of “the people.” The suggested readings for “Violent Death As Sacrifice” are: Isaiah 53:1-12; Romans 5:6-8, 10-11, 18; 1 Corinthians 11:23-27; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 2:23-24; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 5:2; John 3:16; 15:13; Colossians 1:22; and the Letter to the Hebrews. All are welcome to participate in this class. It is helpful to bring a Bible. Handouts are provided. We look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
The February 26 class will conclude the Bible study until fall. The Rev. Dr. Park will join the Rev. Dr. Higginbotham to help facilitate the Newcomer/ Refresher class on Sundays in March.
Look ahead to upcoming opportunities for prayer, worship, and community!
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