Our Lenten Journey

by Rev. Eric Folkerth

“I feel like I have PTSD from the winter storm…”

One way or another, several folks have said this very thing to me in the past few days. We’re trying our best to move on, past the challenges of last week, but we find ourselves getting exhausted and tired easily. We keep replaying the fears of the cold, of burst pipes. We remember things that happened to us, and things we only *feared* would happen.

Either way, it does feel like our whole neighborhood, and state, is moving through a kind of collective PTSD from the winter storm.

As I said in the sermon Sunday, one of the ways to move through this is to share our stories with one another. That’s still challenging during the time of COVID. But as we move through this season of Lent, our goal will be to move back to a spiritual practice of “We, Not Me.” Hopefully, you’ve heard about our weekly Labyrinth Walks. Your staff will be creating videos along each week’s worship theme, and you are invited to come and walk our Labyrinth as a spiritual practice.

Additionally, we have two book study groups that will be meeting via Zoom, as way of moving back to community. 

Finally, very soon, we anticipate returning to outdoor in-person worship.

All these are steps along the way of returning back to some sense of “normalcy.” 

Be gentle and kind to yourself during this time. Understand that between the pandemic and winter storm, we all have a lot of grief to overcome.

But God journeys with us on this path. And so does your church family. The Lenten road may still feel like a wilderness, but if we take the journey, it will lead us to the joy of Easter.

Hold on to this hope.

Grace and Peace,

Eric Folkerth