From the General Presbyter

“Lest our feet, stray from the places, our God where we met Thee. Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world we forget Thee.”

– Lift Every Voice and Sing, James Weldon Johnson

Welcome to Lent.

It could not come fast enough after these eleven months of trials and tribulations, learning, and growing, failing, and succeeding. Once again, we enter a time to ponder the complexities and the simplicity of who we are as individuals and as a church. This is our time to relent and repent and restore. Our confessions are more than just eating too much but perhaps ingesting that which has caused unmitigated strife and conflict in family and community. Paul says “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Romans 7:15 ESV

I am speaking for myself. I discovered how easy it is to get annoyed at my younger brothers and sisters in Christ for getting the vaccine before me, when it is the system that creates uncertainty, imbalance, chaos, and inequities. To top it off, I am healthy with no comorbidities. Lord Have Mercy.

What about you? What is swirling around in your hearts and minds that you do not need? What is God inviting you to put on or put in, instead? The good news about being “dust” is that we do not have to go it alone – God does the heavy lifting.

Keep a holy Lent.

– Jackie