The Pastor's Corner

March 2026

Lent began Ash Wednesday, February 18 and ends on the Saturday before Easter (April 4). Lent lasts forty days, not counting Sundays; that is because Sunday always celebrates Jesus’ victory over sin and death – His Resurrection. Even during Lent Sunday is a “little Easter.”

The Early Christian Church recognized the period before Easter as a time of preparation for new converts who would be baptized on Easter Eve. During this period, the new converts were taught the gospel message and the Lord’s Prayer; they prayed, fasted and participated in acts of charity. Eventually, Lent became a time of reflection and self-examination for all Christians.

Scripture instructs us on the need for continually examining our lives, our choices, and our priorities. Self-reflection helps us to discern whether we are living according to God’s will and instruction. Self-reflection can lead to repentance and spiritual growth. When we commit to this spiritual exercise, we open ourselves up to cultivating a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

Self-reflection can be very difficult. It is hard to be objective when examining ourselves. We don’t want to look at the scars and brokenness in our lives.

When thinking about my own Lenten journey, I am reminded of a personal journal entry that I would like to share with you.

I went for a walk on the beach looking for seashells – perfect, beautiful seashells. They were hard to find among the broken shells and trash left behind by previous visitors to the beach. The majority of the shells were just fragments – broken, tossed and tumbled by the sea, eventually being shoved onto the shore, only to be battered by the wind and sand. As I walked along, the sound of the water gently lapping onto the beach began to overwhelm my senses, blocking out the anxieties in my head. I wasn’t thinking about my responsibilities. I wasn’t worrying about plans and contingencies for when – not if – something would go wrong. All I was thinking about was finding beautiful shells.

I saw a coral shaded fragment. First the color caught my attention then the shape. It resembled a wing – a bird, a butterfly, an angel? I picked it up and shared it with my friend. She saw it, too. First the color, then the shape. As we walked further down the shoreline, we noticed more and more wing-like shells. What once was a home for some sea creature was now abandoned, broken, tossed about and eventually discarded. Even so, its beauty remained. My friend and I brainstormed ways to transform these bits and pieces into something meaningful, useful. These “wings” may someday – hopefully – become part of an art project.

We are like those shells. We begin our lives with so much potential. We grow we have responsibilities and experiences. We make choices – some good, some bad. Life tosses and turns us in various directions. Sometimes we are battered and broken. We become like those shell fragments. Feeling like we have lost a part of who we are – who we were. Maybe so, but we still have beauty. We still have potential. We still have hope.

Our little sand buckets were full of treasures from our stroll along the shore. Reminders that no matter what life may bring – sunshine, rain, storms, joys, heartbreak, anxiety – we are not alone, we will not be left abandoned and forgotten. We will always have beauty, purpose. We can have peace and rest.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:8-12)

Grace and peace to you,

Pastor Teresa