Refreshment

We are deep into Lent.  The scriptures become more penitential, the Gospel readings become longer and multi-faceted, and with all happening in the world, even in church we can feel like we’re carrying a lot.  The traditions and seasons of the greater church do recognize this, and This Sunday is Laetare Sunday, the Lenten equivalent of Gaudete Sunday in Advent – both are Refreshment Sundays, meant to give a break from  denials or fasting and the somberness that accompany penitential seasons of preparation for Christmas and Easter.   It is an opportunity to take a break and to lighten up, and to appreciate the gifts that God has given to us (and then, in the following week, to get back to work).

This Sunday we will baptize young Cooper Teebagy.   It is somewhat unusual to baptize during Lent, yet, baptism is the Refreshment of the Church, and on this Refreshment Sunday we will joyfully baptize this boy, and welcome him into our community.  Thus we will join together on Sunday with Cooper and his family, to be refreshed, enlightened, and renewed!

AMEN.

 CJ+