A Word from Joel - March 5, 2025

Our Lenten theme this year is Everything in Between: Meeting God in the Midst of
Extremes. We will follow Jesus as he travels to Jerusalem in Luke, telling familiar stories
that disrupt our understanding of God and the world around us. The authors of the
series describe the theme as follows:
This series is an invitation to navigate the polarities in our lives with more faith, intention, and openness to be transformed. Each weekly sub-theme explores two supposed binaries, like “faith & works” or “rest & growth,” or “grief & hope.” We
often consider these ideas to be opposing. However, as we explore these
concepts within the scriptures, we find nuance and complexity. We find that these
dichotomies are false. We might begin to see a full spectrum instead of black and
white. We might find that God is present in between.

And so, this season, we invite you to look beyond black and white binaries and
easy answers. We encourage you to notice the dichotomies that define our lives,
but also imagine where God might be meeting us beyond the categories we
create. This theme may resonate with anyone who is in discernment or trying to
find their way through an undefined space. It will speak to anyone who feels as if
they are living in a divided world. It is for those who seek a spiritual life that
engages with complexity instead of avoiding it. This Lent, we're trusting that God
shows up in shades of gray, rainbow hues, and everywhere in between.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first of our 40 days in Lent. Tonight, we will gather at
church at 7pm and receive ashes, a physical reminder of our limited time here on earth.
We will consider the call that Jesus makes on our lives and how we answer him. I hope
you’ll join us in person or online. Be sure to pick up a devotional at church and see the
art on display in the Lounge, as we seek to find God in our divided world.

One Struggle to Love,

Rev. Joel A. Esala

1 A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org