02/07/2024 0 Comments
From The Vicar: Listen, Act, Journey Together
From The Vicar: Listen, Act, Journey Together
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From The Vicar: Listen, Act, Journey Together
Dear Ones of St. Columba's,
Lent is here. We have begun the journey toward the cross, a journey where we seek to pay attention to God in new and different ways, and to draw ever closer to the One who made us. Many of us choose individual disciplines or take on new life practices that have spiritual implications during the time of Lent. In past years I have shared parts of my personal practices with you, elements of which almost always include participation in the communal practices we will engage together in our worship and community life. There have been years when I gave things up, and years when I have taken things on. One year, which my spouse looks back upon quite fondly, I focused on cleaning my kitchen each evening before bed and offering prayers of thanks and gratitude for the nourishment and provision that room generates for my family.
This year I am exploring a journaling practice, in hopes of paying closer attention to God's presence in my life. And, as always, I will be engaging in many communal practices in our life and worship together that will help all of us to pay attention in new ways to how we are being called into relationship with God, as we journey through Lent with Jesus.
There are a few things you will notice right away this Sunday, and I want to describe some of them for you.
- We use our ears to listen. The scripture readings will not be printed in the bulletin for our 10am service. Our scriptures were written to be heard, not read, and so in an effort to truly listen to the word and attend to worship together we will not print them in the bulletin during the season of Lent. For those who are hard of hearing and need to follow along visually, printed copies will be available to pick up on the way in.
- We use our bodies to pray. There will be several opportunities to use our bodies in prayer during our 10am worship, and some during the 8am worship as well. You will notice prayer stations in our sanctuary beginning this Sunday, and they are there for you to interact with. At the 10am service there will be time set aside for this purpose, after the sermon. At the 8am, they can be used before or after the service for quiet reflection and prayer. Everyone will be invited to open their hands in the orans posture - an ancient prayer posture - when we pray the Lord's Prayer together during Eucharist.
- We carry our worship with us. Weekday Morning Prayer has begun, and will continue each weekday at 7am. There is nothing quite like beginning your day in sacred space, with communal prayer. But we know that not everyone can make it to church at 7am on a weekday. So you will find in your bulletins each week a simple daily prayer rite that you can use at home - alone or with a family. We worship together, even when we are apart.
Dear ones, I invite you to the keeping of a good, holy, and renewing Lenten season. Come and worship on Sundays and notice how these practices disrupt and re-orient you. Come and talk about Race in one of our discussion groups, and notice how this disrupts and re-orients you. Come to morning prayer, or Wednesday worship, or to your usual small group or ministry work and notice how participation in the Christian life together shapes and forms us to know and be known by God as we journey through our lives in the world.
However you keep the season, know that you are in good company, as we all journey toward the cross together, and seek the face of Jesus.
with care and gratitude,
Alissa
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