For millions of Christians around the world who observe the traditional seasons of the church calendar,the start of Lent will begin on March 5th—Ash Wednesday. The focus of our attention during the Lenten season is Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem, where he is to face suffering and death. Luke (whose gospel we use extensively during the 2024-25 liturgical year) sums up Jesus’ singleness of purpose quite well in chapter 9, verse 51, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”
In addition to the week-to-week patterns of scripture readings we have on Sunday mornings during Lent, we will also have special programming during Lenten midweeks to help us in our own journeys. Beginning Ash Wednesday, we will gather for simple meals, worship, reflection, and a shared project, using Jill J. Duffield’s book, Lent in Plain Sight: A Devotion Through Ten Objects. A separate article in the newsletter will detail the various objects and themes that will covered in those sessions, so I will refer you to that piece for details.
For a number of people, the Lenten season has long held the connection of sacrifice and giving up of things during the season. I’m not going to dismiss the usefulness of that spiritual practice (especially since I follow it, myself), but I would encourage you to embrace Lent, not just as a time of sacrifice and deprivation, but as a time to take on something new during the season. Perhaps we could see it as a time to take on more prayer, more reading of scripture, more acts of kindness and mercy, and so on.
In whatever ways you find most helpful, may you discover this upcoming Lenten season as one of spiritual renewal.
Shalom aleichem—Peace be with you.
Rev. Jim Hoppert
