Fourth Sunday

of Lent

“The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. 

Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not.” 

— Albert Schweitzer

Scripture

Matthew 9: 18-26

While Jesus was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.

Ritual Action

The words of Jesus we highlight this week from the healing story are “the girl is not dead, but sleeping.”

We have touched today on our need to be rejuvenated in spirit, to awaken with new vigor for creativity and curiosity. This is the intellectual healing that is a spiritual healing. We may feel like we have been slowly dying away these last few months, but Jesus affirms that we are not dying… we perhaps are sleeping. It is the healing we yearn for… to be awakened, brought back to life with vitality and vigor for the days ahead.

And so this week, I invite you being to play with creating a “different picture” from the brokenness. I invite you to take your broken pieces and move them around on a flat surface as a mosaic artist would try various configurations when making a work of art. Even when the raw materials of our lives that we have to work with feel broken, we can get a new perspective that can awaken a new vision for life within us. 

When you are ready and have found placement of your pieces that bring a spark of delight, you are invited to take a photo of it. If you use a “wallpaper” on your phone, consider using your photo this week in this way, a reminder that we are capable of reworking, remaking, the pictures of what “life” can be. If this technology is not part of your world, keep your mosaic creation on the table where you can see it frequently, using it as a focal point for prayer.

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.