From the Pastor's Desk

Let's all be ''on the Same Page" During Lent

I'm hoping we can do our Lenten devotions together on Sunday mornings. 

You don't even have to buy the book, "Lent for Everyone," by N.T. Wright to participate. That's because the Scripture for his devotional, which is based on the scheduled church readings, are the sermon texts for Sundays. I like the idea that we would all be on the same page during Lent. 

Indeed, in keeping with the spirit of Lent, we are taking a deep dive into five select Psalms. Consider this. If you attend the midweek Bible study, you will learn about the text as it was originally crafted. Each Psalm has a historical context to consider. The midweek Bible study even helps students read Psalms in light of what a Psalm is. 

And for those who like to go further in the weeds, our Sunday School class will read and interact with the devotion written by N.T. Wright from our devotional book. His gift, among many, is interpretation. But wait, there's more. 

Preachers don't often present sermons on the Psalms. Have you noticed? Maybe because they are often more expressive than theological. Sometimes, what sounds like unfiltered thoughts and prayers can be embarrassingly sentimental and/or harsh. I think for me, the challenge in presenting a Psalm as a sermon is that the Psalms themselves don't always conform to the standard sermon recipes that I feel comfortable presenting. In short, I want to find a way out of my vulnerability, not a reminder of how vulnerable I am. 

How much more meaningful will Easter be if on Sundays we make a concerted effort to let the soulful, honest Holy Spirit inspired Psalms speak to us. How meaningful it would be to open our hearts and minds together in preparation for Easter. 

Pastor Pat