From the very beginning of my time with you, I have called this column in the Gatherings “Across My Desk.” While much of what variety of materials that come across my desk, sometimes it is based on ideas that come across my mind, based on bits of scripture I will be preaching on, or verses of poetry that capture my imagination. Today, for the month of February, what I write is about what I usually wrote about in February – the coming of Lent.
I have yet to take down all my Christmas decorations so to begin to think about the coming of Lent takes me further into the future than I usually think – you, too, I imagine. In fact I am listening to a CD from St. Olaf College based on their annual Christmas Festival which is their annual musical presentation, involving nearly 500 participants!!
The season of Christmas and Epiphany which celebrates the coming of the Wise Men to worship the Christ child still lingers in our memories. In these seasons we celebrate that Christ, the Light of the World has come into our life. In lent, we are confronted by a world who would just as soon distinguish that Light. During Christmas we sing of “silent night, holy night, Son of God loves pure light.” In Lent we sing of the impending darkness, of the human spirit, lost and feeling abandoned – ‘my God, my God, why have you abandoned or forsaken me?”
The spirit can hardly take it in, this sudden shift in mood with its darkness and even despair. Yet, like a life line connecting us to each other and to God, is the Light of the Holy One whose love is unchanging. It is interesting that as daylight is waning, we celebrate the coming of the Light of Christ into the world. And as the days are lengthening, we are faced with the impending darkness of Holy Week.
In these early days of February, we are in a time of transition, of changing mood as we move from Light to dark. Nevertheless, we continue to walk in the Light of Jesus, for nothing that human beings can think of to do to the Savior or to each other can ever extinguish the One True Light of the Holy One whose birth we celebrate in December, whose death and crucifixion we experience at the end of Holy Week.
Love and light, pain and sorrow are all apart of every person’s life, one often following on the heels of the other, so fast we are staggered and unable to adjust. But we have a Savior who also knows what it is like to be joyous one moment, celebrating at weddings one moment, being led in chains to a cross the next.
I invite you to take these days of January and February and think about the shifting sands of life, that in the midst of it all we have a Savior who searches us and knows us as we truly are and who loves us in the midst of it all. For you see, there is no place we go where God is not – if we take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there God’s hand will uphold us, leading us and guiding us in paths of hope and joy.
In light of Lent’s approach, I invite you to mark your calendars, beginning Sunday, Feb. 19 at 9:15am for a bible study based on the scripture passages I will be preaching on during the Sundays of Lent. We will meet through March 25 as we explore the story of the last months of Jesus’ life.
Here we are, yet another change in the ever changing seasons of the church year. What never changes is the love of God as we know it through the love and light of Jesus Christ, inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit.
May these days of February and March be filled with new hope and possibilities for you and yours.
Blessings,
Rev. Dianne
