| I have always enjoyed the writings of Henri Nouwen. During this Lenten Season, I’m rereading different selections from his corpus. In Sabbatical Journey, he wrote: Precisely where we feel most present to each other, we experience deeply the absence of those we love. And precisely at moments of great loss, we can discover a new sense of closeness and intimacy. This is also what the Eucharist is about. We announce the presence of Christ among us until he comes again! There is both presence and absence, closeness and distance, an experience of at-homeness on the way home. I was struck again by the paradox that loving someone deeply means opening yourself to the pain of her or his absence. Lent is a time to get in touch with our experience of absence, emptiness, unfulfillment so that in the midst of our overcrowded lives we can remind ourselves that we are still waiting for the One who has promised to fulfill our deepest desires. During this season of Lent, I hope you will afford yourself some time for contemplation where you reflect on the experience of emptiness. In doing so, see yourself being filled by God’s Spirit leading you home.  This Week’s Readings: * Monday – Mark 9 * Tuesday – Mark 10 * Wednesday- Mark 11 * Thursday – Mark 12 * Friday- Mark 13 Prayer Requests: *An immediate end to the crisis in Ukraine. *Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. *Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. *Give our leaders extra wisdom as they navigate this pandemic and economic uncertainty. *Help for those seeking to find their way. *Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC. |
| “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6 |