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Pastor-to-People
Mar 9 is the first Sunday in Lent, where the tone of worship becomes more poignant
and reflective. For five Sundays including Apr 6, we will follow Jesus into the desert
and walk with him to Jerusalem. The paraments change to purple to reflect this Lenten
journey of spiritual renewal. On Apr 13, the mood changes as we celebrate Jesus'
triumphant entry into the City of David with palms and Hosannas. Then during Holy Week we follow the final days of Jesus, coming together at the table on Maundy Thursday night. Then we contemplate Good Friday and Holy Saturday, the time of Jesus' death and burial. "Lo, in the grave he lay, Jesus my savior."
Then Easter morning, Apr 20, is our moment to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, his triumph over sin and death. We will gather first at 7am for sunrise worship, and then again at 10am to give praise to God
for raising our Lord and giving us good hopes. This is the highlight of the church's liturgical calendar and the heart of our faith. What a great way to end our Lenten preparation, basking in the light and love of our Risen Savior!
During Lent this year we will introduce the singing of the Kyrie Eleison after our confession of sin at worship. The phrase simply means "Lord, have mercy." It is based upon that frequent prayer found in the Book of Psalms (6:2, 9:13, 31:9, 86:5, 123:3). It is also found several times in Matthew (15:22, 17:15, 20:30). Luke 18:9-14 features that prayer in the parable of the Pharisee and the sinner. The Eastern Orthodox Church formulated the Kyrie Eleison into the Jesus Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, be merciful to me, a sinner." The Western Church added the phrase, "Christ have mercy". So we in the Protestant Church will often sing the Kyrie like this: "Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy, Lord have mercy upon us." It is our way of acknowledging humbly our need for God's mercy, grace and forgiveness. It is a lovely prayer to accompany us on our Lenten journey to Jerusalem with Jesus. Come worship and join our community in this deeply meaningful time of the year.
Peace and hope,
Frank
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