I’m writing to invite us into a holy and vibrant observance of the season of Lent. This year, we are entering into our Lenten journey with the theme Wandering Heart.
When we talk about our Lenten journey, we may think of that journey as linear: We travel from Point A to Point B – from where we are now – on toward the cross – and then on toward Resurrection.
Our theme this year acknowledges (perhaps a bit more realistically) that this journey may be more of a weaving wander. Our journey is not always, or ever in a straight line -- maybe a correct turn here, but then a meandering one there, all the while hoping we don’t stumble entirely off the path. But always, we journey with Jesus.
For our Lenten wander, we’ll look with particularity at the faith journey of the disciple Peter, as he endeavors to follow Jesus. Peter is perhaps the best-known disciple. We know those moments when Peter got things right ("You are the Christ!"). We know those moments when Peter charged forth in zeal (rushing out onto the water to follow Jesus, until things started to sink). And we know those moments when Peter was more than a little off (the deep sorrow as he denies Jesus three times). We know the ways Peter kept on going, kept on following – Peter, who was both faithful, and very human.
For our Lenten journey, we’ll have visual and liturgical resources from the creative team at A Sanctified Art. They describe the theme like this: “We want to affirm that wandering is exploration, not necessarily distance from God. We want to affirm the ways that Peter keeps on going… keeps searching and yearning and loving, even after missteps or mistakes. Ultimately, in Peter’s story, we are reminded that God loves imperfect people – in fact, time and again, that’s precisely who God calls.”
For the journey, we will also have some traveling music. Our Lenten series takes its theme from the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" -- and borrows a line/phrase from that hymn for each week. As we get to spend Lent with Peter, we will also get to spend time with this beloved hymn.
We’ll begin our Lenten journey with our Ash Wednesday Worship Service this Wednesday, February 14, at 6:30pm (in-person and online on our regular worship Zoom link). Our worship will include the ancient tradition of imposition of ashes. We will also sing as our prayer song Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, as we consider what it means to "tune our heart to sing God's grace." We hope you can join the community for Ash Wednesday worship.
And, looking ahead, you may want to mark your calendars with the schedule of our Holy Week services:
Palm Sunday, March 24, 10am
Maundy Thursday Service (with communion), March 28, 6pm
Good Friday, March 29
Sanctuary open for silent prayer, 12-3pm
Tenebrae Worship at 7pm
Easter Sunday Worship, March 31, 10am
Bringing all of who we are to this season of Lent, let’s set out on a faithful wander together. Let's journey with Jesus (and with Peter!), toward Holy Week and the cross, and beyond that into the sure promise of Resurrection -- all of it, an experience of the fullness of our humanity.
Blessings,
Scott Clark
he/him/his
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church San Anselmo
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