Letter from Lindy Feb 27

Hello Pilgrims,

Like you, I have been transfixed with horror at the unfolding invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin, his inner circle, and the Russian military, wringing my heart and hands in both disbelief and deep concern for the Ukrainian people. A tearing at the seams of my hope-filled belief about our global community. Have I just been naïve? Has there been no evolution of world peace since the first Cold War? are the questions I implore to God. Like one of our congregants, if I scroll too deeply down the 24/7 news cycle wormhole, I could easily teeter at the brink of the apocalyptic minefields of a World War III. And yet, an invasion/war so far away, touched, mainly, but intently, by its economic impact here in the US also begs the question of how we respond as a people of faith. With its raw newness, we may not yet see pathways of assistance for the people of Ukraine. So we wait, alert, and ready to respond. And our waiting is not passive, but active because we confess a God who moves with, in, and through all things. A God who journeys with us to, in, and through death to resurrection. A God who asks that we turn to the Holy in prayer for all things, and without ceasing. So let us begin in prayer as we embark on our Lenten journey next week.

Lent begins with us crossing its threshold on Ash Wednesday which leaves us marked for the road ahead. Today, more than ever, we need the intentional discipline of this season to help us traverse our current landscape which feels more wilderness than ever. To continue to honor our COVID response protocols, our upcoming Ash Wednesday worship is for your home viewing where you and with whomever you gather can begin the work of our Lenten study, as Felix and I model its first act for you on screen. I pray our worship be a nudge for you to join in our Lenten series “I’ve Been Meaning to Ask: pouring ourselves out to each other,” designed to engage and connect and rejuvenate our curiosity and community. Please find a seat at our Lenten table with your fellow pilgrims.

Along with our at-home worship, we invite you to campus on March 2 to receive the sign of the cross in glitter/ash as your marking for our journey together. We have scheduled three opportunities to receive this imposition: 7-8am; 12n-1; 5:30-6:30pm. I pray you come. When you do, we will affix this Christian symbol to your forehead and then invite you to walk the labyrinth, if you so desire, to offer your thoughts, prayers, worries and whatever else to God. There will be music playing softly to surround you and prayer cards as guideposts for your walk. I look forward to meeting you sometime throughout the day.

until Sunday,
Pastor Lindy (she/her)whypronouns matter

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