Each Good Friday and Easter, I have this strange habit of checking to see if the weather matches the theological mood of the day. Will Good Friday be gloomy and rainy? Will Easter be bright and sunny, preferably after a few gloomy days?
Lent invites us into a process of letting go. Perhaps this is most commonly expressed in the practice of fasting traditionally associated with this season. But now, as we enter Holy Week, this reflection invites us to consider letting go in a different way . . .
We were five minutes into the woods, less than ten minutes away from a busy street. All I could hear were the ins and outs of my breath, the soft crunching of snow beneath my feet, the blowing snow, and the sound of squirrels chattering, when, suddenly, blissful silence. Not even the whistling of the wind could be heard…
I’ve always needed Lent in a personal way. I have a tendency to fill my plate to overflowing—drawn to every flavour and texture and combination. Wanting to savour every bit, but also rushing to the next so quickly that the richness of each is often compromised…
I was a confident, if not brazen young adult. I had my opinions and was certain that they were well thought out, informed, learned, and intelligent conclusions. More than once I had someone more aged than I say to me “when you are older you will think differently.” I dismissed their notion as pretentious…
There are many potential roles a pastor takes on, both within the context of church and extending out into the community…
When my church’s worship leaders met a few weeks ago to prepare for our Lent worship series someone jokingly mused, “The pandemic experience of the past year has already demanded that we give up so much. Do we really need to adopt the practice of giving up something for Lent in 2021?”
Today, across the globe, Christians from around the world join together to celebrate this unique Holy Day known as Ash Wednesday…