Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6
My first time at Orchard Ridge’s Party Gras was last February 2007. I came with a sense of excitement…it seemed like such a fun way to gather as a church. I ate my share of bad food including pizza and donuts. My children and husband ate their share too. Then the entertainment started and there was such a joyful sense in the room. We were all having fun and laughing together. What a great time!

Then, at the end of our partying time, we shifted the tone of the program. The palms were brought in from the year before and placed in the fire pit to be burned. We read a litany together that helped us really turn the corner into Lent. We watched the palms burn and turn into ashes and we were reminded of the business that each one of us needed to do inwardly as we journeyed through Lent. This moment was very sobering to me. I had heightened sense of the seriousness of the next day (Ash Wednesday) and how those ashes would become the marks of the cross on my forehead. I appreciated this contrast in the evening’s events and I feel it really helped me move into Lent with a deeper appreciation for serious and sober tone of Lent.

Lent is a time of self-examination and penance. As Wendy Wright explains, “Lent is a time for tuning our ears, for listening carefully, for discerning the texture and quality of our own demons, for attending to God’s unceasing, creative plea amidst the noise of cultural pressures, the busyness of life, and our own self-limiting habits…God is always calling us out of ourselves into a more generous freedom, so that we can love and serve ourselves and one another more authentically.”

As we move through the days of Lent, some questions worth asking ourselves are “What does that freedom look like for each of us? What has us bound? What keeps us from living in the gifts of God’s freedom and grace?

Generous God, help us to name the demons we wrestle with, seek ways to be released, and find our way into your generous freedom and grace. Amen.

Tammy Martens

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7
We are always welcome to be in the presence of God, whose love for us is beyond understanding, beyond measure. I am renewed, refreshed by spending time doing nothing but sitting in the presence of God. I’m not always successful. There are times when there are too many things on my mind. On the other hand, sometimes these are the most fruitful because sitting with God can put things in perspective. Repeated practice helps. It makes me realize that I haven’t failed just because “it didn’t work” once or twice.

“I thirst” are words of Jesus on the cross. He also thirsts for our presence; for our lives to join his.

Simply sit quietly in the presence of God. Read and gently reread and feel how you thirst for his presence.

In your love and mercy, Lord, help me to ponder you through prayers that have been said for thousands of years — really prayers that Jesus would have prayed.

My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, I came to your sanctuary, as one in a parched and waterless land. Ps 62(63)

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Ps 42:1-2

I reach out for you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Ps 143:6

Paul Patenaude

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8

The renewal of my faith began when I joined ORUCC 16 years ago. I was introduced to a place where people were genuine, compassionate, generous, non-judgmental and truly cared about others in our congregation, our city, country and world. I felt an immediate warmth – it was refreshing and powerful – little did I know what this new journey in my life would bring.

I’ve learned to pray more, in and out of church, I love to attend church weekly, if possible, and I have been involved in and enjoyed many aspects of our church community over the years. I am grateful for all of my intergenerational ORUCC friends. This is renewal for me, each time I meet someone new, sing a favorite song, listen to the choir and band, watch the young ones during the children’s sermon, listen to the readings and sermons, teach a class, attend a meeting, go on a trip – these are all part of my journey of faith, my life’s journey, guiding me along, carrying me through the tough times and running with me in the joyous times.

Staying involved has helped me keep the faith, even when I question so much. Sometimes I feel as though my faith is all I have, all I can really rely on. We have control over so little, if anything, but my faith in God gives me hope, strength and perseverance to make it through those times that seem impossible to face, to endure. I know that God is there during those times – I physically felt him carry me when I was so distraught I could barely walk. When I pause to think about it, God has worked spiritually so often in my life, especially recently when difficult situations turn into opportunity to learn and grow and heal. When a trip to help build homes for the poor, turns into one of the riches experiences I’ve had in my life. I was carried through the tough times, and ran with, in joy.

God has worked through experiences and people and nature, giving me hope and trust that he is everywhere, in everyone, and probably always has been, even before 16 years ago. As a child, my Mother’s faith gave her hope, strength and perseverance to carry her through her difficult journey. I believe her faith, though different than mine, began my faith journey before I realized it or wanted to admit it.

My faith was renewed in 1992, because of the anticipated birth of my daughter, when I came here and began my journey. I began to open my eyes and ears to God and to the world, eventually helping me see light, even in darkness, and hear the good news, among the bad. My journey has been wonderful and it has been difficult, and as I continue to renew my faith in daily experiences and challenges, I am driven by the powerful words and images of peace, hope, love and joy.

Deb Josephs

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9
As I’ve moved into and through middle age, I’ve felt a growing need for regular spiritual practice to sustain my hope and faith. Weekly worship is wonderful, but I need a daily dose of time with God. I’ll tell you how it went this morning.

I woke up a little grumpy and tired today. Various bodily aches and pains nagged for attention. I recalled a dream involving a loss, and guilt and worry over the loss. I did not feel at ease in the quiet morning or my cozy home.

And as I have every morning for many years, I sat down with a cup of coffee, lit a candle, and wrote “morning pages.” Morning pages are a form of journaling about one’s own real life – good, bad, indifferent. What’s real for me this morning? I try to listen to my own life and learn and grow in that real place. Where’s the hope grounded in that reality?

I love this practice most mornings — especially when I find “naturally” that special place of inner peace that comes to us sometimes by grace. Today, I sat with the reality of my grieving for my parents and for myself. I could not find a true and easy optimism or good energy. I recognized my discomfort at not being able to fix what is wrong for others and a harsh self-judgment about my mistakes and limits.

I prayed: “God – help me be kind to this grief, and compassionate to myself and others. Help me to trust you more and let go of my false self-reliance.” Then I breathed in and out, thinking: “Create in me a new heart, o God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

Following my usual routine, next I read an assigned Scripture with a short devotional, and the assigned portion of the Rule of Benedict with Joan Chittister’s interpretation. I tried to listen, as Benedict advises, with the “ears of the heart.” Again I just sat. Like drops of rain on parched earth, phrases from Scripture, the Rule, or wise spiritual guides sometimes arise in my awareness. Today I remembered a psalm phrase: “God is Boundless Love.” This comforted me. I felt a little lighter and better able to move into the day, allowing my present grief and personal failings to be surrounded by Love.

I need this time alone with myself and God every day, like I need breakfast and coffee. It’s become a habit, like the coffee, but more than that. It’s a response to a strongly felt need. In fact, when I was at my busiest (working hard and traveling a lot for my job), it was even easier to “find the time” than it is now, because I needed it so much. My ordinary life is not very difficult compared to some others, but with humility I confess that I can only face it with some measure of hope and goodwill by God’s grace.

Thanks to the living God, and to the many spiritual elders and companions who share the way.

Helene Nelson

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10
I do not get to the movies much anymore, but in a line from one of my favorite 80’s films, Say Anything, high school senior Diane says to her dad, “It always feels good to tell you the truth because if I can’t share it with you, it’s almost like it didn’t happen.” The movie depicts the strength of their relationship based on open communication, the daughter’s willingness to express not only the events of her life but her feelings about them, and the father’s willingness to listen.

Deuteronomy 4:7 reminds us that God too is a parent who is ready to listen to us whenever we call. Since I first heard Paul’s reminder to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) as a child, I’ve always appreciated knowing that I can talk to God anytime. But in the craziness of any given day, the continual multi-tasking, the distractions that are inherent to life, I think I fall back too much on the “classic” prayers identified by Anne Lamott (“”Help me, help me, help me” and “Thank you, thank you, thank you”). Too often I get caught up in the stress and forget to take the time to stop, to reflect, to listen. I forget to share what’s going on in my life and how I’m feeling. When I’m struggling with a situation, the possibility of setting aside time during the day to share it with God seems to come in an “Aha!” moment rather than being the first action I take. Deuteronomy reminds me that we are blessed to have an intimate relationship with God; we can “Say Anything.” I just need to think of it. Remembering is renewal.

Julie Luecke