By Jeff Brummel
Take one minute to look around the Sanctuary. Quiet your heart as you gaze at the chancel, the tops of the pillars on the sides of the room, the windows. What is different?
The paraments are purple, the shutters are closed and we have an old rugged cross as our focal point on the chancel for the next six weeks. These visual clues remind us it is the season of Lent, and we are journeying with Jesus to the cross.
In our prelude and anthem, you will notice the theme of walking. This idea of walking, or journey, is common during Lent. In the liturgical year, we walk alongside Jesus through his earthly life from Advent and birth, through baptism, and eventually to the cross and, at last, resurrection.
Our theme for this year’s journey through Lent is Rooted: Knowing Whose and Who You Are. While we might know with our mind that we belong to God, sometimes our heart has a hard time knowing it. That’s OK. That’s real. Experiencing doubts and feelings are all part of what it means to be human. Let the upcoming Scriptures of Lent remind us that Jesus also experienced the full range of human emotions. As we walk in Jesus’ footsteps, let us cover ourselves in the purple cloth of penance, allowing the darkness to focus us on a single barren tree and all that it means.
As you spend time in this sacred space today and over the next six weeks, feel the love and presence of God with you. Drink in this Divine love from those around you. Let their warmth wrap you in song, but know that they too hurt and doubt.
To whom do we belong? We belong to God. As the old gospel hymn says, “Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you.”