Dear Church Family,
I’m back and grateful for your prayers. As they wheeled my mother into her surgery at Manhattan Sloan Kettering the nurse encouraged her saying, “don’t you remember you have eleven churches praying for you?” That’s one of the perks of her being a well-connected Presbyterian pastor with nearly forty years of service before her retirement (and a year or two after retirement too). Thank you for being one of the strong ones in that lineup, not just praying for her but singing for her too and sending lots and lots of love. I’m also really grateful to my home church, Broadway Presbyterian, who sent us a service of communion at home with three singing elders visiting, and brought us ashes at home on Ash Wednesday to mark the changing of the seasons.
I observed the changing of the liturgical seasons in New York, and you observed it here… with a service at MPC led by Ben, and at least one home-based service I’ve heard about, led by two Godly Play students under the age of 8 (the video evidence was pretty spectacular). Or perhaps you just observed it on your morning commute noticing some ashed foreheads. However you noted it, or whether you’re just noting it now, the season has changed. It’s now the time of the color purple, and thus begins a season that will feel different at MPC. Some things will seem familiar from previous Lents: we’ll probably sing “What wondrous love is this, O my soul,” and some other Lenten classics; the paraments have been changed from green to purple; the pastors wear robes and stoles; and the tone shifts away from all the joyful Alleluias for a while, to prepare us for the outburst of joy on Easter. But differently from previous Lents, this year we will have a theme running through the season. The theme will be change and transformation. We hope this spurs you to look at your lives and to be open, willing, and ready for God’s presence to change you in some way.
One of you said to us recently “coming to MPC has made me a kinder person. I guess I had a tough edge on me from all I’ve been through, and I didn’t expect this, but somehow, through coming to church, I’ve started dropping the harsh exterior, like I could relax enough to be my true self.” Church family, did you know you had this power to change people’s lives? It’s true. It’s good news! And maybe, this Lent, maybe there’s a change in store for you too.
When my mom came out of surgery, still loopy on pain meds, and was told it was a great success, she murmured about all the love that had surrounded her – eleven congregations’ worth of prayers – and said “it’ll make a believer out of me.” Later, and less loopy, she said that this had been such a profound experience of feeling loved and supported that it had changed the whole way she saw the world. What a beautiful change!
Maybe you can see what’s happening to you, spiritually speaking, as easily as these people did, and you’re ready to open up and go with the flow. Maybe you have a project (whether it’s a spiritual challenge or a concrete task) that you’re really hoping for some divine help on. Or maybe you’re feeling stuck and wondering what Lent could possibly have in store for you. During Lent we will have a theme of change and transformation. All the Bible passages we have on the lectionary schedule seem to link to this theme in one way or another, and so it will become our Celebration theme for the season. We are also planning for some different ways to pray. Instead of having a Prayer for Peace and shaking hands around the room each week, we will have a meditative prayer station where you’re invited to pray for transformation in a hands-on way. Come expecting a surprise (if that’s possible) but most of all, come with your openness and curiosity. We hope together we can be transformed into a new creation.
Every Blessing,
Talitha