Our building will remain closed through Friday, February 3 due to the winter weather.
The story of Israel is the story of us–a story of forgetfulness and autonomy. A story of indulgence and idolatry. A story of injustice and emptiness. This is the story of Israel. This is the story of us.
As soon as sin enters the world in Genesis 3, shame immediately follows. Adam and Eve sew fig leaves together as the fundamental impulse of the fallen human heart. It is their way of saying that they can "fix it" or "make life work."
The fig leaf imagery is an invitation for us to reflect on what our own fig leaves are. How are we sewing fig leaves in our lives? How are we trying to deal with our fallen hearts and the fallen world through our own strength? How am I trying to cover over my own shame?
As we go through Lent, let us name our sin and shame. Let us allow Him to do transformative work in our hearts.
One of our Lenten traditions is to place a long black cloth at the front of our stage and invite worshipers to write out any sin they wish to confess on the black cloth using black markers. On Good Friday, the black cloth is draped around the cross, symbolizing Christ's death on our behalf.