MINISTER’S MESSAGE/ UPCOMING DATES
julia@csv-united.org |lloyd@csv-united.org |centralunitedchurch@nb.aibn.com
Friends, again this year, over the five weeks of Lent, beginning Sunday March 9th, through Holy Week to Easter Sunday, we’ll be exploring the theme Everything [in] Between. We will follow a path through the Gospel of Luke and interact with familiar stories that invite us to find our place of service in the world.
Each week we will be invited to reflect on how Jesus’ ministry disrupted the established social, political, and religious divides of his time, how he intentionally pointed out cultural and political extremes to emphasize the radical, inclusive, and surprising love of God. As we consider these stories in their historical and cultural context, we expect that we will see how they mirror the divisions many of us experience in our families, churches, and communities today.
Sarah Speed, one of the authors of the resource we will use writes, “The story of Lent (and Easter) is a story of messy middles. Jesus is on the road, but he’s not there yet. Jesus is telling stories, but the crowds don’t understand. Jesus is leading a parade, but it’s not the one they expected. Jesus is
risen, but the disciples can’t forget the cross. The story of Lent, the story of our faith, is a story of messy middles and nuanced surprises. So, this Lent, we are remembering that faith is more complex than this or that, black or white, true or false storytelling. This Lent, we are wading into the middle of
these sacred texts to find God and to stretch our own understanding beyond the binaries our world so often gives.”
The theme, “Everything In Between,” invites us to navigate the polarities in our lives with more faith, intention, and openness to be transformed. Each week we will explore two supposed
binaries, like “faith & works” or “rest & growth,” or “grief & hope”. It is common for us to consider these ideas to be opposing. However, as we explore these concepts within the scriptures, we hope to lift up nuance and complexity, and confirm the utter falseness of these dichotomies – and
proclaim that TRUTH always lies within the full spectrum instead of black and white – that God, Love, is present in between…So, let us join in setting our face toward Jerusalem and commit to looking beyond black and white binaries and easy answers, and as we travel together, may we notice the dichotomies that define our lives and imagine where God might be meeting us beyond the categories we create.
This Lent, we’re trusting that God, Holy Mystery, Love Beyond Naming will show up in shades of gray, rainbow hues, and everywhere in between.
Faithfully for the Ministry Team
(the Rev.) Lloyd Bruce & Julia Ye
April 6 – Lent V – Rev Lloyd Bruce
April 13 – Palm Sunday – Gather at Visions UC
@ 140 Joyce Ave or online (no service @ Central)
Apr 17-Holy Thursday @ Sackville UC
Potluck at 6pm and service at 7pm
April 18 – Good Friday – Central @ 10:30 am
gathering as a collaborative community!
April 20 – Easter Sunday – Central @ 10:30 am
Gathering as a collaborative community!
Apr 27-9th Affirm Anniversary
