Hello friends,
Lent is not for the fainthearted.
The weather — it’s still winter; the wilderness — it’s scary.
But God provided us with a few powerful Lenten inspirations at the church this week to remind us of what is possible for us in this season.
On Monday, there was a pigeon in the church boiler room.
The church boiler room is a windowless bunker in our basement. The only way a bird could get there is by a harrowing descent from the roof via the chimney, and through the church’s venting system. Against all odds, in the pitch-dark basement, a pigeon was bathing in a bucket of life-giving warm water.
Through a resurrection of sorts, we caught and sent the bird back into the world to share the Good News with others.
And on Wednesday we welcomed hundreds of people to the church parking lot to receive the imposition of Ash Wednesday ashes and to share blessed moments of prayer and preparation at the outset of this holy season. Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return. It was profound and holy in every sense. May God pursue unexpected wonders through us all over these forty days.
Then yesterday we celebrated the life of Newman member Patricia Anthony who passed away on February 13. As we gathered in the Springvale cemetery next to the church to give thanks for her life and commit her unto God, the sound of birds chirping was all around us — perhaps coming from some of the same birds that have fed for years at her active bird feeder only a few blocks away.
Even though we are in the Lenten wilderness, we are connected to each other in ways we can’t (or don’t) usually appreciate. Lent is a season of faith practices. May we practice seeing God at work around us and through us in all that we do.
Lent is not for the fainthearted; Lent is for us!
Traveling together,
Sam
Subscribe to the weekly Newman Newsletter here>>
See you at Sunday worship this coming Sunday at 10:00 a.m.