Do you ever hide from God? Does God ever hide from you?
The strange truth is that even those of us who are faithful in prayer and worship—those of us who come to church each week, who follow our rituals, who read the bible—even we can hide from God. In the bustle of Sunday morning, there are a lot of other voices to hear. Between dropping kids at Sunday School and talking to the friend you haven’t seen since last month and picking up the dish you left in the kitchen, there is not a lot of quiet.
When I was preparing to be ordained, a good mentor made clear to me that the church is not always a path to finding God. Sometimes, it can be an impediment that gets in the way of God.
Knowing this, I want to commend two Lenten opportunities at Grace to you:
The Reconciliation of a Penitent: This rite, more often known as confession, is shared individually and confidentially with a priest. You come and name before God’s minister the sins that are clinging to your heart.
The adage about confession (which holds true for many other things in the Anglican tradition) is: All may. None must. Some should.
Clergy are available on Thursday from 11:00-11:30 a.m. in the nave (ahead of the noon healing eucharist) to hear confessions each week. We’re also glad to make appointments at other times—or simply to talk with you more about what the rite involves.
Stations of the Cross: Each Friday at noon, we walk through the 14 stations (which are on wood plaques around our nave), symbolically walking along side Jesus in his last hours, saying prayers as we go. The service concludes with the eucharist.
The stations put Jesus squarely in front of us. The service (like most midweek services) is small and intimate. If you want to come face to face with God, this is how to do it.
I invite you to spend time this Lent with the God who very much wants to spend time with you.
Yours in Christ,
Anne