Many of us gathered for a special service at the start of the Lenten season -- though, true to this winter, there were a dusting of snow on our cars when the service was over. It was a time of reflection and confession. In addition to the ashes, there was some special music -- the choir sang a wonderful arrangement of "In the Garden" by Mark Hayes and I sang an arrangement of the spiritual "Give Me Jesus," which I find to be particularly fitting for Ash Wednesday.
The meditation was the beginning of a Lenten series on God's promises in hard times. I suggested that Jesus' teaching in John 15, "I am the true vine," offered a reminder that God is actively working to help us become better and more productive, but that it can require some cleaning away of unhelpful things -- "In Time of Futility, a Gardener."
If you missed the meditation, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.
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