Sacred Failure
The church season of Lent is upon us! Wednesday, February 26 is Ash Wednesday, and it is on this day that we begin a journey toward the cross and ultimately the resurrection. Christians often either give up something during Lent that gets in the way of their faith (for example, gossiping, alcohol, or complaining) or add something during Lent that enriches their faith (for example, mid-week Lenten worship, Daily Lenten Prayer, or daily Bible reading). This year, ELCA youth are challenging the larger church to give up the use of single-use plastics because of the destructive nature of both the production and disposal of single-use plastics to Earth. If you would like to accept their challenge, I suggest you choose one particular single-use plastic you utilize regularly and identify a sustainable alternative that truly works for you—so that you can continue using it even after Easter. Examples include substituting bamboo or regular silverware for the plastic silverware you get at fast food restaurants, substituting a hard plastic water bottle for single-use plastic bottles, or substituting clothe grocery bags for plastic grocery bags.
Each Wednesday at 6:30 pm beginning March 4, we gather for mid-week Lenten worship with Holden Evening Prayer around the theme Sacred Failure. Because we are finite human beings, we have all failed. While failure often feels scary and shameful, failure can lead to learning and growth. In fact, in the realm of science and technology, failure is celebrated because it shows what is not true or what doesn’t work—which is revelatory and helpful! Each Wednesday, a brave soul from our community will share a story of their failure as a way of encouraging us all and creating a space that is open to discussing failure.
Weekly Themes
March 4: Failure is…common to humanity
March 11: Failure is…a way to grow
March 18: When failure is…sin
March 25: Failure is…a site of revelation
April 1: Failure is…common among God’s people
Please join us for mid-week Lenten worship each Wednesday as well as the meal prior to worship at 5:30 pm in Hope Hall.
During Sunday morning worship, we are invited to consider our failures, not as shameful deeds but as places of growth and revelation. Each Sunday during both services, stones will be available for placement at the cross, stones that represent our failures. Just as the cross was a symbol of shame and humiliation, we may feel that way about our failures. But as Christians, we know that the cross is ultimately a symbol of new life—just as our failures give way to learning and growth.
Praying that Lent is truly a time of growth and discovery for all of us!
Pastor Sarah