Pastor Nikki's Notions

Dear Friends,

On Wednesday, February 26, we observed Ash Wednesday at DPC. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of our Lent, which is a time to return to that from which we were made: Dust and the breath of God. In the story of the creation of humans, the author of Genesis tells us that God shaped humans from the earth. And when God breathes God’s own breath into the mud doll that God had fashioned, the mud doll becomes a living soul. God names this first man Adam, a direct play on the Hebrew word Adamah, which means dust of the ground. Apparently, God thought it was important for us to remember where we came from. So for any of you mathematically minded folks, we might say that the equation for life is this: Dirt + Breath=Life. And we may also say that the inverse is true, Life-Breath=Dirt. That is why we hear these words when we are marked with ashes: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return.” It’s a somber thought, I know. But Ash Wednesday is a somber day, a time to reflect on the fragility of life and the brevity of our existence on this earth. And in light of that finitude, we should take stock of our lives and see if we are making the most out of these few short decades that we get on earth. This is why Lent is often a time for us to engage in spiritual practices we might not practice all year round. Each one of the practices is designed to help us to hear God’s voice speaking to us daily.    

One of the most common practices used during Lent is fasting. Fasting is an ancient practice for many traditions, and in the Christian tradition it became especially associated with the time of Lent as a way of having a more focused prayer life. Over time, giving something up during Lent gained an additional meaning: that we were doing this as some sort of punishment for all of the sins we’ve accumulated over the year. But this year, I want us to think about fasting in a different way, it is simply a way for us to make more room in our lives for God.

This Lent, I encourage you all everyone to fast from two things. First, we’re going to fast from hurry. When you enter our sanctuary this Lent, you will notice an Adirondack chair near the communion table. We will call this the prayer chair, and during the service, I will be using this chair to sit in and slow down as we pray together for one another and for our world. This will be one way for me to fast from hurry and reconnect with God. Likewise, you will be encouraged to designate a chair in your home as a prayer chair for yourself to slow down and reconnect with God every day. Each week, you will receive a handout with special prayers to pray if you need some help. The second thing we’re fasting from is the kind of worry that is a misguided need to control all of the aspects and outcomes in our lives. For fasting from worry, we are going to use what’s called the God Box. All throughout Lent, the God Box will stay on the credenza right outside the sanctuary and anytime worries come up, you can write them down, bring them with you to church and release them into God’s loving hands by dropping them into the God Box.

So dear friends, this Lent, let us slow down and take stock together. Each service is specifically designed to help us quiet down from our everyday lives and to pay attention to our God. You’re invited to come, to take the time you need to breathe and reconnect with a God who patiently and unhurriedly awaits your return. Come and hear the words of life and death. Come and be reminded that it is because of God’s breath within you that you live, and without it, you are dust. Come and remember your utter dependence on your creator and remember how much God cares for you. Come to let go of hurry and worry. Come and reconnect with an unhurried God.
 
Love,
Pastor Nikki
 

The date for communion this month is  March 1st. We would like to thank Cindy Hennig for preparing communion and Rosie & Duane Larson, Cindy Hennig, and Nikki Blanks for serving communion during the service.