Lenten Prayer Around the Cross

by Seminarian Stephanie BerkasCome join us Wednesday evenings!As we continue on this Lenten  journey together, I invite you to pause and reflect on these words from the Rev. Amy Butler, a Baptist minister in Washington, D.C:

“We're smart and good, pretty and talented, witty and full of great ideas. We go to work every day wearing our titles like Boy Scout badges informing the world that we know what we are doing. But secretly, we're scared someone will find out that we really don't. And so, from near and far, many of us will make our way to quiet places on Ash Wednesday. There, marked with the dust of our world, we will pause, and someone will meet our eyes and say in solidarity,                ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’And in that moment, no matter who we are or where we come from, we can and will face, if only briefly, the truth of our lives, with all their failures and missed opportunities and disappointments.”

We know that Lent is about so much more than giving up or taking on new practices.  Rather, this season is an invitation to vulnerability.  We are called to look honestly at our lives and at our frailty – our grief, our guilt, our suffering.  As we face the reality of our lives, God meets us in our suffering, with a promise of steadfast love and grace.The winter drudges on, but not without the hope of spring.  Take time in these cold days, opening yourself to the vulnerability of prayer and of relationship.  As the sun stays with us a little longer each day, see it as reminder of God’s presence and abundance, even in the shadows. During this season of Lent, St. Luke’s is hosting Prayer Around the Cross as a midweek worship service.  Having originated at Holden Village in Chalen, WA, Prayer Around the Cross if composed of prayer, song, and silence.  As the sun sets in Logan Square, we’ll gather together in community, sure of God’s presence, even in the darkness.This weekly service takes place in Haberland Hall, directly after our weekly Community Dinner (5pm - 6:30pm) and will be conducted in English and Spanish.Pause in reflection.  Lean into God’s love.  Remember to whom you belong. *childcare not provided for this event.