Spring and Rumors of Spring--Lent as Gift and Sign of Hope

Dear St. Luke’s Community,

Over the course of the past two weeks I have seen the signs of spring mixed in most strikingly with the realities of the winter in which we find ourselves. On Shrove Tuesday, I noticed nearly a dozen robins bouncing around on the ground outside the Parish Hall. It may not be the case here in New England, but in the West the arrival of the first robin of spring is more important than any pronouncement made by Punxatawney Phil. I have not seen those robins so much in the intervening days, but I hear them constantly. Spring indeed cannot be far away.

The second of the most remarkable of signs I’ve seen showing me that Spring cannot be far off is the fact that I was able to watch a baseball game last night. I watched (along with the rest of RedSox Nation) the beloved boys from Fenway fill the seats at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers to watch a 40-year old pitcher work through 19 deliveries to a mixture of the best and youngest that the Minnesota Twins have to offer. It was not ‘mid-season’ form by any stretch of the imagination, but it filled my heart with joy as sure as the first breezes of spring fill my lungs through an open window when I convince myself that it really is warm enough to leave it open (even if only a crack) through the night.

In many ways these two examples are also a part of what makes Lent such a gift to me. The uncertainty of living between the worlds of the Passion and the Resurrection is exciting to me. The uncertainty of what sort of weather the next system will bring is life giving for me. Make no mistake, I like some certainty in my seasons. Summer should always be warm enough for shorts and sandals. Fall should be sweater weather. Winter should make me appreciate hearth and home in a way that other seasons don’t. Spring, however, is most exciting for me emotionally and spiritually, when the next day, the next gift from God, is less certain.

I hope that this uncertainty can open up new ways for us all to appreciate the gift of Lent. Just as surely as summer follows the spring, Easter will follow Good Friday and the fullness of time and the Holy Promise of new and unending life will again be our companion on the Way. That being said, I pray we all be present to whatever the wind blows our way during the rest of Lent.

Peace and Good,

The Rev. Warren Earl Hicks, Rector
St. Luke's Episcopal Church
921 Pleasant St.
Worcester, MA 01602
508-756-1990 (Office)
508-756-8277 (Fax)

Blog Address www.frwarren.blogspot.com