Getting it right
Lent began last Wednesday, and Sunday will be the first Sunday of the season. At this point in the 40-day journey many of us had ashes imposed upon our foreheads and heard the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Now we’re struggling with Lenten themes that range from what we will give up and sacrifice to enhance our spiritual discipline to the bracketed voting for “Lent Madness” to see which of our favorite saints will arrive at Holy Week and Easter wearing the proverbial “Golden Halo.” For me my Lenten discipline actually began last Sunday on the Last Sunday of Epiphany. In the course of a congregational visitation I was with the wonderful folks at St. James’ Church, Portsmouth, Virginia. After the worship was over I engaged in a parish hall conversation with about 25 members of that congregation. What started out as a general Q&A dialogue quickly turned into something much more when we began to discuss the state of racial reconciliation in