From the Rector: Looking Toward Lent

Dear friends,

We are about to turn our steps toward the wilderness, toward the holy season of Lent.

This Sunday we hear the great story of the Transfiguration of Jesus, a final burst of Epiphany glory. We will feast with pancakes and all the trimmings, burn palms to make ashes, say farewell to the Alleluias and roll up our Alleluia banner and hide it under the church's floor to be raised up at Easter.

Then, next Wednesday, our Lent begins with the reminder of our mortality. "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return," we hear echoing in our ears, as the ashes trace the cross that was once marked on our foreheads at our baptism.

We will have several special opportunities to deepen our faith this Lent:

• On both Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, Daphne Vernon and I will be leading a book study on Stephanie Spellers' The Church Cracked Open. You may want to order the book now and begin reading it. We'll start with the Introduction and Chapter 1 on Sunday, Feb. 26, and Wednesday, March 1. The Sunday sessions will happen at our regular Sunday Forum hour at 9:00 a.m. Wednesdays will begin with a simple soup supper at 6:00 p.m., with the book study from 6:45-7:45 and closing with Compline at 7:45.
• On Friday evenings at 6:00 p.m., Bo Simons and other lay leaders will be leading the Stations of the Cross. This simple, moving devotional service traces the last steps of Jesus using the beautiful wooden carved stations around the church. The service will be bilingual in English and Spanish. The first celebration of the Stations will be Friday, Feb. 24 and they will continue on Fridays through March 31 (except March 10, when our regular monthly Sung Prayer service happens at 6:00).
• On Thursday, March 2, we have been invited to join many other Sonoma County congregations in an interfaith fast in support of the unhoused community of Sonoma County. This is the first interfaith fast by a newly organized group of congregations interested in exploring this powerful shared spiritual practice. For those who choose to participate, fasting is from sunup to sundown and can take the form of a traditional fast from food or can take other forms. The day will end with a community gathering at 5:30 p.m. at The Living Room's Life Center, 1335 N. Dutton, Santa Rosa. Find the details by clicking here.
• On Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. beginning on March 2, Daphne Vernon will be leading our Lenten Living Compass series. Designed for both individual reflection and group study, this daily devotional provides a foundation for seeking a deeper experience of Lent.

As Christians we are an Easter people. Our faith finds all its meaning in the resurrection of Jesus. Lent leads us to Easter and helps us prepare. Together, let us enter the wilderness.

In Christ's love,

Stephen