Dear Grace,  

Here we are – journeying together with Jesus through Lent. 

Let's sink into these forty days by being real out loud about our limits – that God is God and we are not. Slow down so you can notice your impulse toward despair and denial. Then resist these incessant urges – and the ways they lead you into sin – by choosing honesty in the daily work of confession: being real with ourselves and with God.  

We’ll create sacred space for this spiritual work each week. I invite you to the sanctuary Wednesdays 5:30-6pm for a prayer service. In the words of Simone Weil, “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. Attention, taken to its highest degree, is the same thing as prayer.” During Lent, we will practice giving God our attention through this weekly service.  

I’m praying you’ll encounter abundant mercy through this rhythm. The sanctuary will be prepared for you to experience quiet space with God in community. Bible study friends, we are pausing Tuesday evening study while we focus on this weekly time of Lenten prayer. I look forward to seeing you in the sanctuary as we gather mid-week to take a deep breath, practice honesty with God, and be renewed by mercy.  

In Christ and with you,  

Pastor Hannah