Reflections on Lent 2: Genesis 17 & Mark 8: names, identities, life, self.
— Song of Myself, Walt Whitman
your heart must forget about shame and dignity.
You are God’s lover, yet you worry what people are saying.
― Jalaluddin Mevlana Rumi
Giving Up a Life, a Self, an Identity: Themes from Mark 8
Do not lose yourself in the past. Do not lose yourself in the future. Do not get caught in your anger, worries, or fears. Come back to the present moment, and touch life deeply. This is mindfulness. ― Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation
We begin to find and become ourselves when we notice how we are already found, already truly, entirely, wildly, messily, marvelously who we were born to be. The only problem is that there is also so much other stuff, typically fixations with how people perceive us, how to get more of the things that we think will make us happy, and with keeping our weight down. So the real issue is how do we gently stop being who we aren’t? … Here’s how I became myself: mess, failure, mistakes, disappointments, and extensive reading; limbo, indecision, setbacks, addiction, public embarrassment, and endless conversations with my best women friends; the loss of people without whom I could not live, the loss of pets that left me reeling, dizzying betrayals but much greater loyalty, and overall, choosing as my motto William Blake’s line that we are here to learn to endure the beams of love. — Anne Lamott, “Becoming the Person You Were Meant to Be: Where to Start” O, The Oprah Magazine
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THIS WEEK at Jackson Community Church Mon, Feb 19- Mon, Feb 26
Note: School Break this week!
TUE, FEB 20
- SMALL GROUP STUDY & REFLECTION
3:30-4:30pm • Pastor’s Office. Group gathers to study selections from Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant. Themes of adversity, resilience and joy. Meet in pastor’s office on second floor. Books available to borrow through local libraries as hard copies or downloads (reserved as Jackson Community Church reading group in Jackson library) or for purchase from White Birch Books or as audio books through sites such as Amazon. This group will meet Feb 20, Feb 27, Mar 6. Drop-in participation is welcomed.
WED, FEB 21
- PASTOR’s DROP-IN
7-9am • JTown Deli. Come by for caffeine, cuisine, and conversation. - PASTOR’s HOURS
10am-Noon • Jackson Community Church
Stop by or make an appointment! Rev Gail available to meet.
THURS, FEB 22
- CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES
3:30pm • Yoga with Charlotte Doucette • Parish Hall. $10/pp fee. (Scholarships available) - AA
6-7pm • Church Library - SOUP & SKI with FAMILY & FRIENDS
5pm • Parish Hall of Jackson Community Church
Gather with members and friends of a few of the valley’s faith communities for soup supper. Menu this week: clam chowder, salad, bread. Please RSVP to church if you can bring loaf of bread, salad, or second crock pot full of soup!
5:30/6pm • Meet at church parking lot for evening XC ski. Optimal starting point to be determined. For those who able and interested, if weather permits, come on a ‘night ski’ on Jackson XC Center’s trails. With permission of Jackson Ski Touring Foundation: donations will be collected for Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, but trail passes not required. Bring your own head lamps, ski equipment, layers, and be prepared for outdoor conditions. Ski at your own risk. Bring friends! Open to everyone. All ages welcome.
Note: We will continue this practice from Feb 22-Mar 22, and will end the Lenten soup series with a Maundy Thursday meal on March 29.
SAT, FEB 24
- PREPARED to SERVE
6am (promptly) • Leave from Jackson Community Church.
8am-4pm • Pembroke Academy, Pembroke, NH. Includes all-day experience with worship, workshops, exhibits, food and fellowship with folks from all over NH. Over 50 different workshops offered on a variety of topics. Jackson Community Church will cover the cost of registration, if you wish to attend. Rev Gail will be going for the day, so car-pooling is possible. Youth are also encouraged to consider attending.
Topics range from stewardship and youth engagement to social and environmental justice issues and pragmatic ways that the church can address such issues. You can register on the “Day Of” for a fee of $50/person. Please RSVP to the church if you want to attend and have a ride with Rev Gail!
SUN, FEB 25: Lent 2
- INTERFAITH GATHERING
8am • Madeline’s Deli, Jackson, NH
Starts indoors. Reflection & prayer using literature, sacred texts, personal sharing. Continuation of ‘outdoor gathering’ that was affectionately called ‘gazebo church.’ - BLESSINGS of BODIES, BOOTS n BINDINGS
9am • Jackson XC Ski Center. On-site blessings for skiers. - ADULT CHOIR PRACTICE
9am • Jackson Community Church - WORSHIP: Lent 2
10:30am • Jackson Community Church
Theme: Lent 2
MON, FEB 26
- PROTESTANT CHAPEL ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING
4pm • Church Library (2nd Floor)
See outline of meeting agenda below. All members encouraged to attend. - COMMUNITY FORUM on HEALTHCARE
6pm • Whitney Community Center - SCOUTING BLUE & GOLD CEREMONY
6pm • Parish Hall, Jackson Community Church (closed to public)
LENTEN RESOURCES
Acts of Kindness & Giving for Lent
(guides and calendars sourced from several organizations)
- Illustrated Lent for Families:
*Already printed and available* at front of church, which is always open. Or accessible as downloadable multi-page PDF with coloring pages, scriptures and activity guides. Due to licensing, the link will be sent by email to all church friends and members … if you want to participate, and didn’t receive this email already, sign up on this site to receive our email and we will forward the links to download the PDF files. Or email us directly for the link. - 40 Ways to Keep Lent Holy:
List from Rev Nadia Bolz-Weber’s blog. - Carbon Fast Calendar:
Sign up to receive daily messages/prompts on environmental acts of kindness for Lent. - Solidarity Lent Calendar:
(Includes acts of kindness and generosity and social justice. Download this calendar with acts of kindness and giving) or use their Lent Calendar App to participate - 40 Acts of Generosity Lenten Calendar:
Sign up to access and participate. - 100 Acts of Kindness for Kids:
Printable list.
Reflections and Meditations
- Coloring the Psalms Devotional Guide and Coloring Pages.
*Already printed and available* at front of church, which is always open. Or accessible as downloadable multi-page PDF files from Jackson Community Church’s website. Due to licensing, the link will be sent by email to all church friends and members … if you want to participate, and didn’t receive this email already, sign up on this site to receive our email and we will forward the links to download the PDF files. Or email us directly for the link. - UCC (United Church of Christ)’s Still Speaking Daily Devotional messages. Sign up to receive these.
- UCC (United Church of Christ)’s Still Speaking Podcast. Sign up for podcast
- Mindfulness Applications for computers and mobile devices from Thich Nhat Hahn’s Plum Village (in the engaged Buddhist tradition)
- Jan Richardson’s Painted Prayerbook blog entries
- Maren Tirabassi’s Gifts in Open Hands blog with daily Lenten posts
- Daily Meditations by Fr Richard Rohr, sign up to receive these
- Living Lent Daily: Ignatian Spirituality daily meditations for Lent . Sign up to receive daily email meditations and devotional activities.
- Social Justice Lectionary: Downloadable guide to readings and activities surrounding social justice issues. Extension of MLK Day initiatives.
Reflections on ashes and dust: themes from Ash Wednesday & Lent
Ash Wednesday is the starting point of Lent. We are marked with ashes as we begin the season. We go from feasting to a season of fasting, praying, and giving.
Or perhaps we can think of Lent as a season of personal training, of discipline and preparation, to return to spiritual fitness. It’s a time when, through confession, we admit and wrestle with our issues, vulnerabilities and weaknesses … and get to know ourselves better. We seek healing and balance.
This is also an opportunity to understand that we are beloved for whom we are: messy and imperfect and broken. Just as we are beloved for whom we may become. Because the gift of this season, ultimately, is grace. We can prepare, we can focus … yet we cannot earn the boundless love toward which we are reaching. It is simply offered to us, regardless of how perfect or imperfect we are. Just because.
Ashes symbolize mortality, as well as humility and contrition. The proudest members of society, in many faith traditions, don sackcloth and wear ashes as signs of humility, to express sorrow, or to demonstrate a desire for reconciliation and forgiveness. Ashes represent, like “dust to dust”, our elemental origins and remind us that our bodies will return to the earth. Within our faith, we also believe that while our bodies are formed from organic materials, our living selves are filled up with and energized by Breath, Wind, or Holy Spirit, which animates life and connects all of us.
Traditionally, people receive ashes today, Ash Wednesday, as a smudge or cross on the forehead. We come to this season in a messy way, wearing our imperfection on our faces. Messy, sad, sorry, tired, angry, grateful, hopeful, happy, curious … we enter into this time of preparation, on the journey toward Easter.
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Reflections on the theme of transfiguration from Mark 9
We consider a story of transformation from Mark 9, echoing stories of Moses and Elijah and Daniel, wherein we glimpse a transcendence that changes everything. What do you want to change in your life? In this world? What is powerful enough to initiate transformation within you?
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