First Sunday of Lent

It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.

–– Joseph Campbell

Scripture

Matthew 8: 1-4; 16-17

When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Ritual Action

The words of Jesus we heard in this week’s healing story were

“I do choose. Be made clean!”

Faced with a request, and given the choice, Jesus chooses to say “yes.” And he says “yes” to each precious and treasured life.

I invite you to take up a piece of beach glass this week, and examine it closely, noticing the worn edges and the color, feeling the texture and thickness. Examine it as a treasure that is completely unique, which of course it is. 

Then shift your thinking to your own rough edges.

What broken edges in your own life need help?

What will you do in this Lent season to focus on healing

of body, mind, and spirit? 

Take a moment to think on this and then when you are ready, enclose the broken piece in your hand and hold it to your heart, breathing (“spirare”) deeply and inviting that Spirit to live and move in you in a special way over the next six weeks.

Keep your piece close at hand… perhaps on your desk, nightstand, or pocket where you can feel it regularly this week. 

Lenten Devotional

Emily Dickinson Poetry

Lent is a time of reflection and insight, a change of seasons - and Emily Dickinson, one of the world’s most beloved poets, was also an avid gardener and a careful observer of the natural world.

In this Lenten devotional, biblical texts and simple, accessible practices weave together with Dickinson’s poetic vision, creating a 40-day journey into the heart of the holiest week of the year.

All you’ll need is your favorite Bible and a collection of Dickinson’s poems. Week by week, we’ll walk through the garden together toward Easter morning - with Emily Dickinson as our guide.  

This devotional will be available every week during lent in our weekly email. Please email Krista if you would like a printed hard copy.