JOin us this LentEn Season
Ash Wednesday, February 22nd, 7:00 p.m.
Sundays, February 26th thru March 26th at 10:25 a.m.
Palm Sunday, April 2nd at 10:25 a.m.
Easter sunday, April 9th, sunrise service and 10:25 a.m.
as we explore:
Like the characters in our Lenten scriptures, we are also seeking many things: clarity, connection, wonder, justice, balance. We are seeking our calling, the sacred, and how to live as a disciple. Throughout this season, we hope you will continually ask yourself: what am I seeking? What is God seeking?
This Lent, we invite you to engage in the spiritual practice of seeking. We encourage you to stay curious, open, and nimble. We hope you will soften your assumptions and expand your perspectives. We pray that these questions will create a safe space to explore—to be drawn more deeply into the fullness of life, into the heart of God.
@sanctifiedart
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NOTE FROM PASTOR
March 17, 2023
Lenten blessings, my friend. I pray this note finds you well. This poem is provided for you to reflect on your Lenten journey.
seeking: Who sinned? A note from the author: “This poem was inspired by the famous poem, Jesus at the Gay Bar, by Jay Hulme. In Jay’s poem, Jesus offers words of grace and belonging in a modern-day setting. In a similar fashion, I placed Jesus in a hospital setting to reflect the text’s (John 9:1-41) focus around healing. In particular, I chose a psychiatric setting to continue dismantling unfair stigmas around mental health. Once again, in this modern-day context, Jesus offers words of comfort and belonging. For me, the image of Jesus in therapy with me offers immense comfort and validation. I hope you find the same to be true for you.”
Jesus in the psych ward¹
He’s in group therapy, plastic chairs in a circle. Paper cups with weak coffee. Everyone in the room has seeking eyes. The Pharisees admitted him. They said things like, He’s more than we can handle. They let the rumors fly. The other patients like him. They say, He listens to me. He calls them by name. And when one of them asks, Is this our fault? Are we here because we sinned? Jesus does not wait for the facilitator to speak. He crosses the circle. He kneels down. He grabs their hands in his and says, Child of the covenant, God loves you too much to ever wish you pain. Bodies and minds crumble sometimes, but God’s love for you does not. And after that there were happy tears and the group was dismissed to lunch, where they broke bread and no one talked of sin.
Prayer by Rev. Sarah Speed | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org
I am grateful for your life and ministry.
Rev. Jennifer Casey
CHURCH DIRECTORY
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