Surely he has borne our infirmities
and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
and by his bruises we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

It seems early, but Lent is coming. Our time of repentance and reflection begins with Ash Wednesday on February 10^th this year.

The season of Lent are the forty (excluding Sundays) prior to Easter. It is a time for solemn reflection and preparation for the death and resurrection of Christ. Beginning with the ashes of repentance and mortality, it culminates in the death of Christ. It has been traditional for adult converts to spend this period studying the faith and preparing for Baptism.

The best known tradition of Lent is fasting. Historically, some form of fasting has been a component of the days of Lenten discipline. The notion that a physical discipline of asceticism will focus one’s mind more fully on God is a common tenet in many religions. The Lenten fast is the basis for the common disciplines of “giving something up” practices and fish on Friday. Even the tradition of Easter Breakfast is a product of historically sharing a communal feast following a period of fasting.

Any discipline can have the effect of focusing on God if that is the intent. Other common Lenten Disciplines are meditation, thematic devotions, prayer practices, and giving alms (charity).

Opportunities for meditation, devotions, and prayer practices are available in various states of technological ability. Christ in our Home booklets are available in both narthexes in regular and small print. Luther Seminary provides a daily devotional series called ‘God Pause’ (RSS link is listed on the ‘study & encourage tab’) and will e-mail this series to you daily. YouVersion, a free app and online Bible source, also has an abundance of devotional materials available.

Our Midweek worship series this year focusses on change in our own lives, the world and the lives of the disciples in the days leading up to the Crucifixion. Below is the official introduction to this series from the worship architects of at Sundays & Seasons (Augsburg Fortress).

Change is a constant in our lives. Some changes mark gradual transitions, as when daytime shifts toward twilight or winter turns to spring. Others happen in the blink of an eye, separating time into “before” and “after”. We choose to undergo some changes after carefully considering our options, while others are forced upon us.

In the weeks, days, and hours before Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples also experienced change: a change of venue as the gates of Jerusalem approached; a change of plans as their long-awaited. Messiah was arrested and tried; a change of circumstance as the crowds shouted “Crucify!”

Change is hard. We long for the expected and familiar, but all too often find ourselves in the midst of uncertainty and the unknown. We cannot predict how things will turn out. The hymnwriter Joachim Neander proclaimed God’s steadfast love in the midst of life’s inevitable changes: “All my hope on God is founded who will all my trust renew, who through change and chance will guide me, only good and only true. God unknown, God alone, call my heart to be thine own”

In addition to this worship opportunity, we will also have the opportunity for almsgiving through a project in collaboration with Lutheran World Relief, a pan-Lutheran organization striving to “provide lasting solutions to poverty, injustice and human suffering.’ ‘Baskets of Promise’ is a ‘Lenten Journey’ focused on collecting items for and assembling Personal Care Kits. LWR then distributes these kits through local partners in places of need.

Whatever discipline you choose to practice throughout your Lenten journey, the purpose is to focus your attention and ultimately our lives on Jesus Christ. Lenten disciplines are techniques to deepen and nurture your faith. They serve to draw you closer and delve deeper into your relationship with Christ and other believers.

The grace and peace of God which surpass all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the crucified and risen Christ Jesus through all the seasons of the year and your life. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:44-46)