Category Archives: Lenten reflection

Good Friday Reflection: The Stations of the Cross

This visual reflection from the Episcopal Church Visual Arts registry, by Kathrin Burleson, entitled “The Soul’s Journey: A Mystical Approach to the Stations of the Cross,” contemplates Christ’s journey through imprisonment, crucifixion and resurrection. Click on each image to view a prayer you might pray while contemplating each stage of the journey. 


I: Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane

He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. — Luke 22
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The Heroic and Visionary Women of Passover (Reflection by Ruth Bader Ginsberg)

This reflection from the American Jewish World Service was written by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt. It reflects on a story from Exodus that is central to Passover – the story of Pharoah’s murder of every firstborn male child (Exodus 1:8-21). The role of women in this story is not often emphasized, but as this passage tells us, women stood up to defy the law.

Several Beloveds will observe passover tonight as part of the UCC Joint Maundy Thursday/Seder Service at Covenant Community UCC. We will remember that Christ also observed Passover on the night he was imprisoned.


The Heroic and Visionary Women of Passover

By Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt

Shared via the American Jewish World Service

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On Passover, Jews are commanded to tell the story of the Exodus and to see ourselves as having lived through that story, so that we may better learn how to live our lives today. The stories we tell our children shape what they believe to be possible—which is why at Passover, we must tell the stories of the women who played a crucial role in the Exodus narrative.

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Lenten Reflection from Marcia Bentley: Saved

If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9 (NRSV)

Jesus…when you come into your kingdom – Luke, 23:42 (NRSV)


There was a man. He lived a life of crime. As far as we know, he never went to church. He didn’t attend Sunday school, or tithe, or sing in the choir, or even go to the church dinners.

And yet, he’s in heaven. How do I know? Jesus said so.

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Lenten reflection by Rev. Angie Wright: Lighting the darkness

 Triumphal Entry (1969), Emmanuel Nsama, mural in the chapel at Njase School, Choma, Zambia

Last week I stood in a place
Where the threat of violence
And the promise of nonviolence
Came face to face.

I stood in a place
Where hope and futility
Clashed horns.

I stood in a place
Where fierce love
Went toe-to-toe
Against the violent abuse of power.

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Lenten Reflection from Marianne Dreyspring: Prodigal

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“Long have I waited for your coming back to me and living deeply our new life.”

We sing these touching words and again I am astonished at the image of our God wanting me with Him for all time… wanting us all and keeping His eye on our journey. Watching for us, even searching for us when we get lost along the way, like Jesus describes the good shepherd does.

In the prodigal son parable Jesus tells a story with this same image of a waiting  father watching the horizon for his estranged son. In my lonely wanderings away from God, I was not abandoned, but felt forgotten. I look back and see depression’s distorted thinking clouded everything that could have helped me see God’s love for me.

Don’t let me close my eyes to other depressed souls who feel lonely and forgotten by God. They may sit down by me at church this Sunday or they may move into Episcopal Place this week. Let me look beyond myself to them, like You do, Jesus.

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Lenten Reflection by Rev. Angie Wright: Suffering of the body

Rev. Angie read the following statement Thursday on behalf of GBM to welcome Caravana 43, families of the 43 Mexican students who were disappeared by the police last September.

The families believe the students are still alive and they are here to demand accountability from the Mexican government.

They also asked President Obama to stop funding the Merida Initiative, which they say supports police corruption.

“For 46 years, GBM has worked tirelessly for justice and mercy and to lift up the voices of the victims of neglect, poverty and abuse of power.
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Lenten Reflection from Neko Linda: Shbag

“For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”  1 John 3:20  

“The Aramaic word ‘shbag’ has been translated into the English word ‘forgive,’ but it actually has a much deeper and richer meaning than our Western concept of forgiveness.
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Lenten Reflection from Rev. Angie Wright: Will the real God please stand up?

We are made in God’s image, male and female. So says God in the first creation story in the book of Genesis.

Do we also make God in our image?

Maybe even more than we realize. The Biblical image of God seems two-faced: sometimes faithful, forgiving, peace-filled, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love – just as we are in our best moments.

At other times, God seems just as petty, jealous, violent and destructive as we can be.

Made in God’s image – that can be downright worrisome.

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Beloved Lenten Reflection from Palmer Maxwell: Be still

On the bottom of my meditation bench I have taped a Buddhist saying:

“WHAT IS THE MOST MIRACULOUS OF ALL MIRACLES?
THAT I SIT QUIETLY BY MYSELF.”

I think most of  us have had the experience that when it comes time to meditate we are so unsettled in our spirit and distracted in our minds that we say to ourselves: “There’s no point meditating now. I’m a mess. I’ll wait until I feel more at peace.”

The problem is that this peace we are seeking eludes us until we find ourselves in bed at night and realize that we never made it to the meditation bench. I’ve done this a million times myself. It’s almost as if I feel I’m not worthy to meditate.  I should be in a better state of mind before I start.

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Lenten Reflection from Susan Proctor: Everything but the Truth

Lucinda Williams

Snowed and iced in on “my” mountain left me with an opportunity, by necessity, to create a different routine.

My seven outside rescued cats were a bit, um, confused by their diet of grits. Although my friends and I had a chuckle from this; it soon became a deeper lesson. Because many in this world would be happy to have a bowl of grits.

I had yeast, flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon, raisins- oh those rolls were wonderful. I had heat. I had clean well water. I had electricity providing light and hot water on demand. I had cooking ability. What I did not have were my regular vices!
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