Dear Caldwell,
It is an odd thing Christians do – take the Palm fronds that a year before symbolized Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, burn them, mix the ashes with a drop or two of oil and smear the ashes on our foreheads for all to see. We do this to remind ourselves that we must die to our old selves if we are to be born anew. The enthusiasim of last year’s Easter has now become dry and brittle and is to be transformed into the start of something new, a marker on the first day of Lent that we will be in the process of examination and transformation over the next 40 years.
Tomorrow at noon, Caldwell and the other partners in the Elizabeth Communities of Faith will gather for worship at Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church, three blocks away from Caldwell. This begins a series of 7 Wednesday services that will take us to Holy Week. Along the way, we will share a simple meal of soup and bread and reaquaint ourselves with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Hope to see you there.
In Christ,
John