Lent
Five chapters of a nation's cry. Five poems poured out in grief like tears. Five laments—sorrow after sorrow after sorrow after sorrow after sorrow—and yet not once in the conversation does God's voice appear.
The book of Lamentations is the voices of Judah in mourning: their independence has been lost, their prosperity seems finished, and they are slowly clamoring for comfort and hope. But the book also carries a profound message of faith: they are resolved to wait for God and believe in Him amid the painful depth of loss.
"This is why I weep
and my eyes overflow with tears.
No one is near to comfort me,
no one to restore my spirit."
Lamentations 1v16
Lent is a season of death: both the traditional observance of Jesus' crucifixion and burial as well as a time for us to be aware of our own deadness and dying. But Lent also carries us to Easter, anticipating resurrection, looking always toward the promise that in Christ's death, there is Life.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, Lamentations is called 'eyk, which is the first word appearing in the book, an exclamation that means "How?" Join us during Lent this year as we explore this book together, acknowledging the painful hows of grief, suffering, and our own falling short. Find with us the messages of compassion, hope, justice, and comfort that God speaks even in the times when He seems silent.
Lent 2009
Our observance of Lent this year is built on three components: weekday readings that lead up to each Sunday; the incorporation of "kriah", a practice of tearing cloth; and services [including weekly Gatherings, Ash Wednesday services on Feb 25, and a Good Friday service on April 10 - Find out more].
