We are now in the season of Lent. Our theme is “Becoming A People Grounded in God’s Love.” Our Lenten devotional booklet is Henry Nouwen’s, God’s Abiding Love. In the mediation for Ash Wednesday Nouwen writes, “In prayer we seek God’s voice and allow God’s word to penetrate our fear and resistance so that we can begin to hear what God wants us to know. And what God wants us to know . . . is this: ‘You are my beloved.” Lent is a time to claim this truth for ourselves and for all people. As we become more deeply grounded in God’s love, the spirit of gratitude grows within us. From this spirit of gratitude flows recognition of the gifts that we have received and insight into how these gifts may be used.
In addition to Sunday morning worship and devotions at home using Nouwen’s wonderful guide, we are also going to house church gatherings during Lent. In these experiences we can learn about the history and theology of Pine Valley Christian Church, and recover a shared understanding of what it means for us to be a gathered and scattered community.
May each of us in our own way become more deeply grounded in God’s love as we make our pilgrimage to Easter Sunrise.
Blessings, David Hansen