Grace and peace,



During Lent, we explored the view that we are broken and beloved. The scars that we carry are not blemishes, they are part of us and they are beautiful. God loves us in our brokenness. 

As a part of our visual display of this theme we placed a broken pot in the solarium; into this broken pot we placed our Lenten intentions, offering them up to God.

At our Easter worship the pot was no longer broken, but now displays the fractures in a way that illuminates the beauty of the pot – complete with its brokenness. The pot is now more attractive. 

This is who we are as Christians, more wonderful with our brokenness. And this is the world around as we care for creation and recognize the brokenness that we have inflicted upon God’s creation. 

Two years ago, as a part of the larger plans for our parish hall renovation, we tackled the aging and not fully functional entrances at the solarium and kitchen. The old access ramp disappeared and a new functional and attractive ramp emerged from the rubble. Also, out of the rubble came our new Welcome Garden. This spring we are seeing plants that are sending out offspring across the garden in a delightful display of creation and re-creation. 

Growth in our brokenness is not limited to creation or ourselves, it can also be applied to the structures and systems around us. This Sunday there will be a discussion about Jared Cooney Horvath’s book “The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids”. Horvath follows countless studies in the field of education that suggests that the influx of technology in the classroom has not been the panacea that it was purported to be, rather, it has harmed learning and development. He suggest that the system is broken; but that does not mean we scrap the entire educational system. We know that within the broken system, we can move forward and create something stronger and more beautiful than before. 

Doing this work requires honest reflection and observation. It requires an unbiased analysis of what has worked, what is not quite working, and what resources or tools do we have to make it work. Looking towards creation, and recreation we can avoid repeating past mistakes, whether this is in our lives or in the world around us. We then can create and recreate new and beautiful ways. 

After the resurrection, Jesus was not immediately recognized; the resurrected Christ was the same, and yet different; the disciples were challenged to see Him in this new light. 

Go into Eastertide in a new light seeking creation and recreation, let the light shine on your brokenness, let your light shine in the world.

Peace, 

Fr. Henry+