Lent both begins and ends in the dirt. On Ash Wednesday, we marked the beginning of Lent by marking our foreheads with a smudge of oil and ash. We remembered that we are dust and to dust we will return. Looking ahead, in 40 days (+ Sundays) we’ll complete this Lenten journey as we gather around a grave.
As we move through this season of Lent, we’ll be following God’s creative action in the very beginning and cultivating a deeper sense of connection to this beautiful place we call home. Each Sunday will focus on a day of creation and how the gospel of John recasts creation in light of Jesus. That’s why I’m calling this series, (Re)Created. We’ll be expanding our understanding of the created order, reconsidering how we’re connected to various elements of creation, discovering how best to care for what’s been entrusted to our keeping, and meditating on what it means to be created in the image of God and recreated in the Spirit of Christ.
Over the next seven weeks you’ll see a beautiful display take shape in the sanctuary, you’ll be challenged by the reflections in the daily devotional, and you’ll be encouraged to feel how all of creation is interconnected. Our Quiet Meditations will come from people who’ve dedicated their lives to closely observing and caring for creation; our Calls to Worship will come from the many psalms that proclaim the glory of God’s handiwork; and our prayers will strive to hold the wonder of it all.
Over the past five weeks we laid the groundwork of what it means to repent and continually reorient ourselves to the kingdom of heaven. Now, it’s time to consider what it means to be in right with relationship with creation.
I’m excited to plumb the depths of this topic with you. I look forward to learning together as we explore new practices, lament what’s been done, celebrate what is, find hope in what can be, and maybe even disagree along the way. For the beauty of the earth. For the love of others. For the glory of God. May this journey bear fruit and yield a bountiful harvest.
In Love,
Pastor Annette