There is much discussion about community life with the publication of “The Benedict Option” a book by Rob Dreher ( https://books.google.com/books?id=GaMgDgAAQBAJ&source=kp_cover&hl=en ) In the setting of a small church, the community life Dreher describes, occurs around our time together. Lent is a focused period of community life for every Christian. We explore that life spent in the company of our brothers and sisters at the table of a common meal.

         At This Week’s Soup Supper discussion to turned to what we have to offer the world (especially that part of the world located in north Seattle).  The answer of course is “Jesus,” but what does that mean?  Some churches claim to offer prosperity:  praise the Lord and he will give you a Mercedes Benz or a night on the town.  That’s not our view, nor the view of the early Church members, who suffered shame, imprisonment, and death for their faith (Christians in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia still experience this).   Some churches claim to offer a haven:  let’s all the nice people get together and pray for those “sinners out there.”  That’s not our view, nor the view of the early Church members, who (like us) prayed earnestly for forgiveness of their own sins.  So what do we have?  We have Jesus, who comes to us in the brokenness of the world and of our lives and offers peace and a new life of unity with God, something we can’t achieve on our own.  What’s that like?  Come and see.

          Meanwhile, the last soup supper is next week (April 5) at 6:00 pm (or whenever you can get there) and then we are into Holy Week.  This year, the Western and Eastern church calendars coincide, so millions of people around the globe, from diverse Christian traditions, will celebrate simultaneously.  Watch this space for further details about Holy Week!

Feeding the Five Thousand
Dean Cornwell
Illustration
17.5 x 24 cm.
From The Man of Galilee, described by Bruce Barton (Cosmopolitan Book Corporation, New York: 1928)

Blessings for a Holy Lent – Fr. Harley+