Second Sunday

of Lent

"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured 

by the compassionate actions of its members." 

– Coretta Scott King

Scripture

Matthew 8: 5-13

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.” And the servant was healed in that hour.

Ritual Action

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

“I will come…”

When faced with a request, Jesus makes a move to seek out, to come to help one who was previously seen to be outside of help’s embrace.

He moves outward to gather in and heal someone unlikely to have crossed his path otherwise. All are within God’s circle of Safe Keeping. 

I invite you to take all your pieces

of broken glass and put them in a bowl or a jar.

As you do so, think about the people you have encountered or heard about in the last few months who are suffering lack of support.

What could we do to reach out and to focus on healing

of the parts of the human community

we don’t spend time thinking about enough? 

To what part of our community shall we say

“I will come…” ?

Then shift your thinking to your need to be cared for.

What do you need to feel safe? What connections do you need to strengthen to heal any isolation you may feel?

If you are in need of something, consider this an invitation to let someone know what you need without feeling embarrassment or shame about it.

Jesus invites us, always, to ask.

Take a moment to think on this and then when you are ready, pick up the container of broken pieces and breathe (“spirare”) deeply, inviting that Spirit to live and move in you in a special way to strengthen your connection to others and your role in making someone’s life more safe.

Keep the bowl in a place you can see regularly this week… perhaps on your dining table. 

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.