February 2021: Pastor’s Page

Pastor’s Page – Preparing with joy for the Paschal Feast

Some years ago, I was teaching the commandments to confirmation students.  Zeroing in on the commandment to observe the Sabbath, one of the seventh graders remarked, “How cool!  God commands us to take a day off.”  I agreed.  It is cool.

When we take a deep dive into the tradition, we are sometimes surprised by what we discover.  On the surface, our covenant relationship with God may seem like nothing more than a set of prescriptions.  Get beneath the surface, however, and you discover practices that engender worship, wonder, and trust in God.

The lessons from the Hebrew scriptures this Lent are stories of God’s covenant making activity: placing the bow in the clouds after the flood, making promises to Sarah and Abraham, the commandments given at Mt. Sinai, and God’s resolve to write the law on the human heart.  Like our ancestors, we struggle in our relationship with God and one another.  Lent is a time to admit it freely and to return to the wellspring of God’s beautiful love and forgiveness, and be renewed again in the covenant of trust made in our baptism.

More than likely, this Lent will resemble last year’s virtual experience.  Still, there are opportunities to participate together in this beautiful time to remember again who we are and whose we are. 

Looking forward to travelling this journey to Easter together.

Peace,
Pastor Hansen