Ash Wednesday has been called the most difficult service of the year. More difficult even than Good Friday when we remember the death of our Lord. On Ash Wedensday, we come to acknowledge our own mortality. Traditionally, the words we hear when we have the sign of the cross marked on our foreheads are “From dust you were born and to dust you will return.” Not always an easy thing ...
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Yesterday, I went with my husband to visit his parents. They emigrated from Germany over 60 years ago. As young children following World War II, they were both war refugees when Allied Forces came in to take over the country. My mother-in-law is from the land that became the Czech Republic, and my father-in-law from what became part of Poland. They know first-hand the cost of war. My husband, Rob, ...
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The final Sunday before Lent is Transfiguration Sunday. It's a pretty spectacular story with a lesson that we need to hear going into the season of Lent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1NHY3Yg4Nc&t=29s Not signed up for Lockdown for Lent: Reclaim the Holy in Your Home? Do it today! Lockdown for Lent
Read MoreThere are a number of "wise" sayings of my maternal grandfather that have been passed down in the family lore. One he was particularly fond of (especially in reference to hymns on those occasions when my saintly grandmother could get him to church) was, "It's a nice song, but hard to sing." We all know songs like this. The Star Spangled Banner comes to mind. Let it Go from ...
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We intentionally step onto this Lenten path hoping to grow in our love of God, love of each other, and love for our own precious, flawed selves. Recognizing that life is fleeting should only cause us to love more fiercely, more deeply and without reservation. Gracious God, it is hard to think that we will die someday. We dream, make plans, and talk about what we’ll do in the near future. We don’t ...
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Today is known by many names: Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday, depending on your community of origin. In Great Britain and in other commonwealth countries, this day is Pancake Day. It goes back to the days when Christians used to give up items like milk and eggs and butter for Lent, pancakes were a great way to use up all those ingredients before the disciplines of Lent began. So ...
Read MoreWhen I was in seminary, a classmate of mine decided to give up beer for Lent. It's not that he had a drinking problem he was trying to address, he just really liked beer and thought that giving it up was his best bet to to test his discipline and commitment. It was not easy. This was Boston and St. Patrick's Day fell right in the middle of Lent that ...
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