GraceNote

February 17, 2023

These days on the planet earth the human family is not wanting for reasons to feel sorrow, anxiety, and confusion. Even so, the sounds and sensations of new mornings and new horizons emerging invite us to anticipate God's healing opportunities. Lent has a long history in the Christian church of being a time of deep reflection, of fasting from habits that may hinder us from realizing our full humanity, and of practicing new ways of hearing God’s voice in wilderness times.  

What do you carry into Lent 2023?

All the pieces, memories, and possibilities we carry into Lent this year will support our journey together. And together we will tend spaces and opportunities for allowing all these pieces to prepare us for the newness, the surprise, the joy of Easter. 

My prayer is that we find ways both individually and collectively to savor and honor what emerges in our reflections and in our puzzling together. Worship will provide sacred space for us to practice together. I trust Spirit will guide you in finding where your energy needs to be in this season of reflecting, puzzling, and emerging. 

Begin your Lenten journey by joining us for the imposition of ashes. Carry the sign of the cross with you throughout the day or conclude the day with this sacred ritual.

A brief reflective service of prayer, scripture, Communion, and the imposition of Ashes will be offered at 12:00 and 6:00 PM.

*Childcare will be provided at the 6pm service.

12:00 PM Service

6:00 PM Service

Throughout Lent during our normal Wednesday Bible Study time (12-1p), we will be discussing Jill Duffield’s book Lent in Plain Sight. This devotional work enables us to see God’s transformative work through the ordinary: “ordinary people, ordinary objects, ordinary grace.” Together we will delve into Scripture and practice together as we delve deeper into our spiritual Lenten journeys. The Church will order and provide books for all who can participate on these Wednesday meetings, March 1-April 5. Contact Richard (richard@gcpcusa.org) if you would like a copy.  

“Feeling Our Way in the Puzzle:

God, Evil, and the Human Condition in Process Theology” 

Some of the hardest parts of the life of faith today are making sense of the traditional ways Christianity has explained things like Divine power, the existence of evil in the world, and why humans are the way we are. Process Theology invites us to shed many of the faulty assumptions of the Western philosophical tradition like materialism, superiority, and linear understandings of time for a cosmology and theology that coheres to the realities of the created world. This four week class is an opportunity for us to explore the novel perspectives that Process Theology offers us as we struggle to both understand and embody the life of faith in these trying times on the planet earth. 

(both in person and zoom options; some readings will be available but not required)

In light of our Lenten theme “Reflecting, Puzzling, Emerging,” our adults and teenagers will be delving deeper together into what it means to be a More Light Congregation. The mission of More Light Presbyterians is to work for a world where all believers strive to live into God's holy abundance. This means deconstructing life-limiting theologies and ways of being that promote exclusion and systemic injustice. Throughout the class, we will be learning from leaders in the More Light movement via zoom.  We hope to see you there either in person or on zoom.

Children will continue to explore the parables and the life of Jesus through Godly Play on Sunday mornings. Every Sunday there will be a special Lent Children’s Bulletin with art and activities to get our kids thinking more about Lent. Each week there will be a Lent Focus Prompt and Activity in the family email.  

Youth will join with Adult Formation on Sunday mornings exploring Queer Theology and how we can deepen our understanding and commitment as a More Light Congregation. 



Youth Group will have opportunities for us to interact with our themes of Reflecting, Puzzling and Emerging. Please check out https://d365.org for daily online devotions during Lent.

Youth and Children are encouraged to check in with Allison our Garden Manager to be a part of what is emerging in the garden. Allison can be reached by emailing her at allison@gcpcusa.org.

Holy Week begins with Palm/Passion Sunday and ends with the joyful celebration of Easter!

During that week we will gather as a community on Maundy Thursday and on Good Friday in the evening. Stay tuned for more information about those gatherings.

Blessings to you and us as a beloved community as we walk this Lenten way together.

Peace,