Note from Pastor Jana Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. It is one of my favorite seasons of the church. There have been times in my life when I have felt a flurry of emotions over things happening. Lent is a grounding season. It allows us to experience our human emotions without shame. We are able to feel and be openly vulnerable with God. It is a powerful season. Following our lectionary (The lectionary is a series of Scripture readings for specific days of the year. The United Methodist Church uses the Revised Common Lectionary, which is a three-year cycle of readings.), many stories of Jesus encountering people who are seeking: Nicodemus comes to him in the veil of night, he approaches a Samaritan woman at a well, he heals a man born without sight. In these stories, each person is seeking a new beginning, a different life, a deeper faith. What unfolds is an exchange filled with questions and exploration. Often, an unveiling occurs—assumptions are disrupted, a new perspective is revealed, mystery grows. The sermon series is called Seeking. It is founded on questions. Many of our weekly questions feel restorative. Some feel like a charge or challenge. Some questions are hopeful and curious. Our questions won't necessarily lead to answers, but they can help us find clarity and a new perspective. Ultimately, we pray they lead to a new beginning, a restoration, a wider grace. Like the characters in our Lenten scriptures, we are also seeking many things: clarity, connection, wonder, balance. We are seeking our calling, the sacred, and how to live as a disciple. Throughout the turbulence of the past few years, many of us are asking big questions about our lives and our faith. Throughout this season, I hope you will continually ask yourself: what am I seeking? What is God seeking? This Lent, you are invited to engage in the spiritual practice of seeking. Stay curious, open, and nimble. We pray that these questions will create a safe space to explore—to be drawn more deeply into the fullness of life, into the heart of God. In Christ, Jana
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