Dear Friends,

There is lots of Lent remaining before we celebrate Easter resurrection. April has 24 days of Lent left. Easter has only been observed at a later date twice before in the past 275 years. In 1886 and 1943 Easter was celebrated on April 25^th.  This means that we are traversing some unfamiliar territory in our liturgical calendar.

Incorrect theology would suggest that Lent is to be 40 days of melancholy and drudgery, no matter how prolonged or delayed.  But the liturgy of Lent is full of joy.  Even though the word Lent comes from the Middle English word, lente, to lengthen, and the observance of Lent is when Christians are asked to scrutinize their lives by “self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word” (as the BCP states), Lent is not a morose and gloomy occasion. Negative perceptions of Lent are reinforced by church traditions of refraining from “alleluias” in the liturgy, the restriction of flowers in the church during , and the prohibition of weddings in Lent.

Central to Lenten piety is the joyful courage to address sin and mortality because we are confident in the absolute love of God. It is not only our minds and our spirits that God loves and accepts. God loves all of us: our bodies, our sexuality, our emotions, our souls and our thoughts.  That is what it means to be a resurrection people.  We do not have to leave any part of our lives at the door when we come to church to worship and pray.  God loves every part of us: body, soul and spirit.

Henri Nouwen, the well-known author and Roman Catholic priest, speaks of being “joyful penitents” during Lent.  We are not dismayed by sin and mortality.  With joy and confidence we look honestly at our lives because we know that God’s love is absolute and certain.

It is for this reason that the Liturgy of Lent is repeatedly interspersed with joy and praise.  Regularly during Lent we sing the Venite, the ancient canticle of joy.  This is also the reason that it was entirely appropriate to have a special concert on the 3^rd Sunday of Lent in which the choir preformed the Te Deum: “You are God we Praise You.” The well attended concert was a wonderful statement of Lenten joy.

Wishing you a joyful continued Lent and a blessed Easter.