Hello, Friends!

     Now that we are in Holy Week, time seems to have been doing its wonderful, strange “warp”—appearing extensive and long, then suddenly leaping forward.   When our Lenten journey began, forty days seemed an expansive space, with Resurrection light illumining our tracking of Jesus’ last days, and plenty of time for our taking stock, going within, and renewing our dedication to Christ’s life-giving way.

     Today, I look back and as is often the case with significant seasons, wonder where the time went, and how it went so fast.   I also wonder if I’ve prayed enough, thought enough, given up enough, offered enough to make me worthy of this sacred time.   The answer, of course, is “NO!”—if by “worthy” I mean anything like sin-free, worry-free, or judgment-free.

But if we equate worthiness with willingness, then yes, I’m ready to be here.  How about you?

      Ready or not, here we are, and we are blessed to have come this way, this year, at this time in the life of our community, our nation, our world.   What more urgent work can there be right now than cultivating compassionate consciousness, in any and every way possible?   And what better way to undertake that work than to come together as a faith community, attentive to holy wisdom, seeking sacred space, becoming receptive to Love, and all Love asks of us?

      Depending on our life path, we may identify more with some aspects of the Holy Week focus than others.   If you are experiencing a time in which a tender need wants gentle tending, then Holy Thursday may speak to you—when a friend offers to meet you where you are, and wash your feet, as a sign of God’s healing love,

      Or maybe you are bound and burdened by suffering, your own, that of loved ones, or that of our wounded, war-torn world.   Good Friday may resonate anew, as you hear again the ancient, heart-rending story of the complete extent of God’s identification with human suffering—and thus, you may remember that we are not alone.

      Then there is the logical assumption that we are all in need of a healthy, vibrant dose of rejuvenating Grace—and meeting Easter bright and early, and returning to worship with the larger family later in the morning, may just give you the lifeline to that ever-renewable resource your soul has been craving.

       Regardless of our personal inclinations, we all need to be present for the whole story, not just or mainly for our own benefit, but for the nurturing of our family of fellow travelers in the faith, and for all that God expects of us, who claim Christ as our Lord.

       So come, Friends, and Jesus will meet you where you are.  God will love you as you are.

And the Holy Spirit will transform us all, into the beautiful ambassadors of Love we are truly called to be.

       I look forward to being transformed with you this Holy Week, and all our days to come.

Shalom,