The Gospel reading for Epiphany 8 (week before last) includes the beautiful passage that begins “Consider the Lilies”. For months now, I have been walking regularly down Riverland Road, the shortest path from my home to St. Ambrose. I was struck, the week before I had to preach on this passage, with the fact that I could find the comfort of that passage “made flesh” right in the space where I live and move and have my being. I prepared a slideshow of the pictures I’ve taken during my walks to try to capture that sense of abundance even on a busy urban street. I hope that you have been strengthened and prepared for this time of Lent, when we put aside fear in the hope of opening more of the places of pain and brokenness in our life to God’s redeeming love…
Lent
Going into the wilderness
Christmas Eve at St. Ambrose, something holy and filled with wonder happened. The way I could express what happened was simple. I had an overwhelming sense that Mary and Joseph could have wandered in, confused, tired, scared, on their journey to Bethlehem. If they had, they would have felt safe and welcome. It would have been a gentle, quiet and loving place for Mary to give birth. After a bitterly hard year, full of painful choices, failures, and struggle, I felt safe and at home. The Latino community of El Centro Hispano de Todos los Santos fell it too. We were grateful. Celebrating the Eucharist at midnight was one of the most quietly lovely moments in my life. Epiphany has been all that and more. And now, we enter into the wilderness of Lent with its harsh and lovely grace.
I will post regularly on this blog–reflections of my own, maybe some video clips, the thoughts and insights of others. Even though we are not with each other most of the week, we don’t stop being a community of faith and service. I hope that you will join me in this time of reflection, self examination and faith in the One who leads us to the living waters even in the wilderness…
New Road Rising 