Message from the Pastor

As I write this, it’s about seventy degrees outside and sunny. I can hear birds singing. The tree outside my office window has buds that are ready to open any time now. Spring is officially here. That’s not to say there won’t still be cold days or unpleasant weather ahead. But right here and now, I’m taking a moment to appreciate the gift that nature has for us this time of year: there are signs of life everywhere you look. 

That’s true in our life of faith as well. The season of Lent (from the Old English “lencten,” meaning “spring”) is a time that we typically think of as serious or somber. We’re called to spiritual disciplines in this season; fasting, praying, and almsgiving, which are good practices any time of year, take a more prominent role in these days of self-reflection and repentance. We tend to shy away from words of praise, in favor of petitions for God to show us mercy. And while these things may give the season a more subdued feel, Lent is a time of preparation that is joyful in its own way; even as we reflect on the days leading up to Christ’s crucifixion, there are signs of life everywhere you look. 

Traditionally, the Sundays in Lent are not counted in the 40 days of the season; they are considered “little Easters,” a reminder that even in wilderness times of testing, tempting, and tempering, God is with us, bringing life out of death. And these days of discipline and introspection prepare us not only to reflect on the cross, but also on the empty tomb; the crucifixion and the resurrection cannot be separated. Because by God’s grace, there are signs of life everywhere you look.

As our Lenten journey brings us to the Great Three Days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter, Beloved, there are signs of life all around us. I pray that you have been blessed by whatever disciplines and practices you have undertaken this season. I pray that you will join us for worship as we bear witness to a love that knows no bounds. I pray that you will come to the cross and the empty tomb with eyes and hearts wide open. Spring is here, Beloved, and Christ is risen indeed. May we have eyes to see the signs of abundant life springing up all around us.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Will Starkweather