April 2006
3/10/73 John and Pam Heavner
How do you prepare for Lent?
from Come to Easter: The Customs of the Lenten and Easter Seasons
compiled by Pat Floyd
What images come to mind when you think about Lent? Many people
think of fish dinners at the Roman Catholic church. Fish instead of red
meat on Friday is traditionally known as a sacrifice of sorts and has been
a Lenten tradition for years. Also, I think of people giving up such things
as chocolate, coffee, or something else as a discipline to accentuate the
penitential nature of the season. Giving up something for Lent as a
spiritual discipline has been practiced for centuries.
The idea of giving something up for Lent has its roots in the early church
where people did penance in order to “reenter” the church after denying
the faith, most likely in the face of violence or threat of death. They went
through this penitential discipline as catechumens – the act of preparing
for baptism and full entry into the church. This time of preparation to
enter through baptism) or reenter (reaffirmation of the baptismal
covenant) into full participation in the church was called Lent. This
intense preparation was the primary “reason for the Lenten season” that
ended Maundy Thursday.
Baptisms and reaffirmations then occurred as part of the Easter Vigil.
The season of Easter was a continuation of the Lenten season and
known as a time of mystogogy (learning the mystery of living life as a
baptized follower of Christ and one who breaks bread in Christ’s name
with all the faithful).
We might learn something from going back to these ancient roots of the
season and reclaiming Lent not only as a time of preparation, but also as
a part of the larger season. Lent/Easter is a continuous journey to the
font and into the mystery of baptismal living.
Do you ever wonder if in the midst of war, natural tragedy, unacceptable
health care, and overwhelming poverty rates, giving up chocolate or
eating fish on Friday can be considered much of a sacrifice—especially
when so many people are suffering without the basics of a life of dignity.
Many of our brothers and sisters go without much of what we take for
granted each day. They are suffering for daily bread and thirst for living
water.
Perhaps we should wade deeper into the ancient waters of our faith and
reclaim this season of Lent/Easter as one continuous journey of
preparation, encounter, and discovery in hopes that our lives and our
community will be better equipped to live into the life to which Christ is
calling us: a life of service and love for those who are in the greatest
need.
Lent/Easter is a journey to Jerusalem where we hear Christ’s
commandment (Maundy comes from the Latin word for commandment)
of love and service, and encounter the depth of pain and suffering of
Christ. We celebrate the rising of Christ along with our own dying and
rising from the waters of baptism (either by baptism itself or a
reaffirmation of baptism) at the Easter Vigil. Throughout the season of
Easter we continue to remember our baptism by encountering the
mystery of a life in Christ and breaking bread together.
As we travel through the most holy days of the church, called the
Triduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil and Sunday
services), we change our emphasis from preparation to a renewed and
revitalized practice. We celebrate and explore what it means to be people
who are living into the mystery of a life in Christ. We enter into the life of
Christ in baptism by dying to the old way of life and rising anew. The
rhythm of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter is the rhythm of
baptism: hearing the commandment of love, dying to the old way of life,
and rising with Christ to show this love to all. This is the most important
holy time or holiday for the church. Throughout the season of Easter we
want to continue to remember, embrace, and celebrate this new life we
have in Christ.
Each year many of us make resolutions to improve our lives and we
rarely keep those resolutions. Yet how often do our resolutions really
impact our lives? How often do we make life changing decisions that
change us deeply?
“Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You
hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” (Psalm 139:
4-6)
Many Blessings,
The Rev. Laura C. Kelsey
Session Highlights
December 2005
During the month of December,
We collected $4205.96.
We spent $6836.87.
We spent $2630.91 more then we collected.
Our net worth as of December 31st is 28,871.86.
Note: The boiler went out during the end of February and was
approximately $612.00 to repair.
During the February Session meeting there was no official financial
report due to Mabel’s surgery.
Notes of Thanks
December 31, 2005
Dear Rev. Kelsey,
I visited your church Christmas Eve. I enjoy your church a lot when
we are visiting our daughter Betsy and husband Ken. The service was
very impressive. Thank you for the bread. It was delicious.
God bless you and a wonderful new year to you and your church.
Gladys Lohmeyer
Dear Tyrone Community,
Thank you very much for sponsoring five Loose Senior Center members
who were in need of assistance.
They were very grateful to have food, gas cards, stamps during the
cold winter months.
Thank you again. We really appreciate all of the effort your church
members have done to help seniors in need.
Thank you! Thank you!
Thank you from Michelle Herndon Asst. to the director and all of the staff
from Loose Center
Vicki Baldwin (Friend of the Heavner’s), Dawn Becker, Bruce Benko,
Carolyn Benko, Harry Carnahan, Jonathan Clark, Don Combs, Dora
Elberling, Charles Flake, Doug Gurst (friend of the Hawley’s), Tom and
Jolynn Hammond and family, Mabel Holland, Debbie Koivu (Barbara
Fredenburg’s neice), Don Lanning, Reese Living, Mark Neuville, Steve
Neuville, Renae Polidan, Ivan Render, Tom Runyan (Ex-Husband of Sue
Carrigan), Mary Sanders (Friend of the Hawley’s), Regina Scarberry,
Nancy Stockham, Steven Subsalski, Maxine Taylor, John and Liz Tyler,
Leslie Wright (Pete Wright’s brother), Benjamin (family of the Hawley’s),
Jenny (friend of Kendra Roberts), those impacted by Hurricane Katrina
and Rita and the rescue workers and all the men and women in uniform.
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9141 Hartland Road
Fenton, Michigan 48430
Phone: (810) 750-0350
Fax: (810) 750-0350
Email: church@tyronechurch.org
Website: www.tyronechurch.org
