A Week of Lent
Dear friends and members of St. Matt's,
I hope this note finds you well as we begin our second week of Lent. We've spent quite a lot of time in worship exploring together what Lent really is and how it can be helpful to us in our spiritual journey. I hope you've made some space in your life in this season for whatever practice it is you're going to take on in order to draw more near to God.
In the season of Lent, there are Eucharistic readings for every day of our journey. You can follow along here. Today's lesson from the Gospel of Matthew can be found here. It will be a familiar text to many of you, giving rise to one of our favorite hymns, a hymn I've always heard you sing with gusto: Seek Ye First. The text begins with this verse: "Jesus said, 'Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you'." And so today, on this Thursday in Lent, I wonder what it is you're seeking from God. Where are you searching for God? What doors are you knocking on in order to grow in your faith and to find the Savior? The Gospel promises us that if we seek the goodness and righteousness of God, that we will find them. How are you using this season to do that work? To search for God? To walk through the doors that will lead you toward health and fulfillment? As always, if you need a companion - someone to talk to - some help on the way, I hope you'll be in touch.
This week, our service will be a little different. WPC will join us for worship in our sanctuary as we celebrate our children. As has been our custom for a long time, there will be a sermon play - written this year by one of our own kids! Tessa Jarvis has designed the artwork for the front of the bulletin. And the children of both churches will lead us through different aspects of worship, taking an active role. Of course, it will still be Lent - so some things will look familiar. I'm so looking forward to sharing our worship with our kids - what a treat.
As always, I hope to see you on Sunday, when we'll journey together on the road with Jesus to the cross. You are all in my prayers every day during this holy season. God loves you. And so do I.
Faithfully,
--Marissa +