Some may have noticed the numbering of days in my posts and wondered about my counting. You may have noticed that the Sundays are not “counted” in the days of Lent.

The Season of Lent is comprised of 40 days beginning with Ash Wednesday (17 March in 2021). But these 40 days do not include Sundays. Sundays in every season are considered a “little Easter” because it is the day we celebrate Christ’s resurrection. While the tone in Lent may be more subdued, this day affirms our hope that death is not the end of life but leads to a new relationship with God.

Here is the Marty Haugen song we sung at Sunday service today (28 February) as we received Word and Sacrament for the Lenten journey.

In Peace,

Christine

Dear Jesus, you name us your friends
and call us to go forward with you
on the way to the cross.
Since you first walked that road
countless millions have followed you
down the path of self-giving love.
 
In all that we do as your disciples,
save us from false familiarity with your journey.
May we never presume to step into your shoes,
but make us humble enough to fit our own,
and to walk in love and wonder behind you.
Amen.

(From Stages on the Way, Iona Community, adapted)

In Peace,

Christine

We live our lives
like potted fig trees
until we are shaken, wakened
and answer the cry to be set free.
 
It’s the cry for a Fuller Life
the Life Love desires for each of us.
 
What then holds us back
from committing ourselves to being set free
to being planted out with love
nurtured in love
to grow tall, strong, wide and deep
in loving ourselves and loving each other
growing into the fullness of the Grand Fig Tree
restless to break out of you and me?
 
It is heart that persists with us
and urges us to pray––
 
I am a potted fig tree
in Your Hands.
Shake me
Release me
Loosen me up
 
Plant me out with love.
Pray a blessing over me.

In Peace,

Christine

In recalling the scene and gesture from Sunday’s Gospel, this reading from Evelyn Underhill may offer further insight and reflection.

Not many of us could say that. Yet there is no real occasion for tumult, strain, conflict, anxiety, once we have reached the living conviction that God is All. All takes place within God. God alone matters; God alone is. Our spiritual life is God’s affair, because whatever we may think to the contrary, it is really produced by God’s steady attraction and our humble and self-forgetful response to it. It consists in being drawn, at God’s pace and in God’s way, to the place where God wants us to be, not the place we fancied for ourselves.

In Peace,

Christine

Dear Friends,

Yesterday we gathered for the first time around our Lenten worship scene. I’ve attached the worship guide for those of you who were unable to be there in person. I’ve edited this version to remove the music etc. and include Avril’s offering for the prayers of the people.

After worship, eight of us gathered for a cuppa’ and conversation around our experiences of life and the morning’s Gospel. A few questions arose including:

• How is prayer efficacious? How does it matter?
• We reflected on the prayer customs of different traditions and wondered what we might learn from one another.
• What does it mean to believe? 
• What is the role/gift of unbelief in faith?

I’m sure our list will grow in the weeks to come as will hopefully the spirit within our community.

For now, I leave you with this blessing from Teresa of Avila:

In Peace,

Christine

Dear Friends,

Lent is about time… time to breathe, renew and reconnect with what matters. This year, we will walk with Jesus to the cross, listening to his teachings and watching as he shows us what God’s love looks like according to the Gospel of Mark. We will celebrate communion every Sunday so we can receive the bread and cup that sustain us on our journey.

I sincerely invite you to find that quiet centre in Sunday worship during these significant weeks in the church calendar. 

Following worship, those who wish are invited to stay and explore what it means to follow Jesus. Bring your ponderings, your questions and your experience. This Lenten exploration is for anyone who wants to grow in faith, hope and love or who would simply like to get to know the community better.  

Below is our Lenten worship space complete with crosses made throughout the week:

Dear Friends,

Shrove Tuesday is the last day before the Season of Lent. Traditionally, Christians empty their pantries of fat and sugar in preparation for the simpler, less indulgent weeks of Lent. While customs may change, today provides us with an opportunity for a last “hurrah” before Lent begins.

At St. Andrew’s, we will be celebrating Shove Tuesday with Pancake Day, a fundraiser for UnitingCare. If you are in Glenelg today, pop into church and enjoy a freshly made pancake with a topping of your choice. 

Here’s a blessing for Shrove Tuesday that we’ll be handing out with the pancakes:

Peace to you,

Rev. Christine Gilbert

Dear Friends,

Attached you will find the prayer guide and reflection for Transfiguration Sunday (14 February) as well as a newsletter that includes information about:

• Vila’s 100^th birthday
• Words of thanks for Lyn, Lisa and Chris
• Information about the Season of Lent
• Ash Wednesday prayer

Plus, an invitation to attend Pancake Day on Tuesday 16 February between noon and 2:00 pm. Pop in for a freshly made pancake with a choice of toppings and be part of the wonderful community that gathers throughout the day. Thank you to those who have volunteered to help with this fundraiser for UnitingCare.

In peace,

Christine