February 7, 2008

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

The season of Lent, begun with the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday, calls us to a closer following of Christ in our daily life through fasting, almsgiving, and disciplined efforts to develop habits of love and service. We are called to an ordered life that more easily and promptly responds to the urgings of conscience and the needs of our brothers and sisters.

THEME FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

At the beginning of the Lenten season, we are reminded of the difficulty in following the way of Christ. We are tempted as Jesus was tempted. In the Collect we pray: "Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

God has given us free will and God will not take away our freedom even if we misuse this beautiful gift. Temptation and sin have plagued the human race from the beginning. The story of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis is repeated in every generation: men and women sin, yet God promises to forgive, heal, and restore.

Psalm 32 proclaims the joy of receiving God's forgiveness: "Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away! Happy are they to whom the LORD imputes no guilt, and in whose spirit there is no guile! ... I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.' Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin."

Paul's epistle to the Romans sets forth his theology of sin and redemption: "As sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned ... For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many ... For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." We participate in the first sin "because all have sinned." We participate in righteousness when we chose freely to follow our consciences in the way of truth and love.

In Matthew's Gospel, we read: "After Jesus was baptized, he was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished." Then Jesus was tempted three times -- to turn stones to bread, to throw himself from the temple, and to worship the devil. Each time, Jesus resisted the tempter and won the victory. "Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him."

Like Jesus, we are tempted to deviate from the purpose that God has given to each us to be loving and caring human beings. Like Jesus, we are not alone in our struggles. God is with us to forgive, heal and renew. God forgives us when we sin and calls us to begin again after we have fallen.

During Lent, I invite you to join us for our midweek services of the Holy Eucharist Wednesdays at 10:30 am and 6:15 pm. For information, on a special Scripture course on the Sundays of Lent, which begins on February 10 at 11:45 am, click here. For information on the Lenten Meditation Retreat on Saturday, March 1, click here. For information on the Spirituality and Justice Award that will be presented to Dr. Paul Farmer on April 27 at 10:30 am, please click here.

As always, I invite you to join us for our weekend worship services: the Celtic Holy Eucharist Saturday at 5:00 pm, the Holy Eucharist with Prayers for Healing Sunday at 10:30 am, and the Sunday Evening Contemplative Holy Eucharist at 6:00 pm.

Sincerely,

David A. Killian
Rector

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Worship Services for the First Sunday in Lent, February 9-10, 2008

Saturday, February 9, at 5:00 pm - Preacher: The Rev. David A. Killian
Sunday, February 10, at 10:30 am - Preacher: The Rev. David A. Killian
Sunday, February 10, at 6:00 pm - Preacher: The Rev. David A. Killian

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Weekend and Mid-Week Worship Schedule
For the schedule of worship services for Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday, please click here.

For the Collect of the Day, Scripture Readings, and Psalm, click here. Please note that the we are now using the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) readings.

For a note on the Music at the Sunday 10:30 a.m. worship service from All Saints Music Director, Donald Teeters, click here.

For a Story from this Sunday's Gospel by Becky Taylor, Director of Children's Youth, and Family Ministry, click here.

For a note on the Sunday 6:00 pm 'Sunday Evening Contemplative Eucharist' from Assistant Rector, the Rev. Leslie K. Sterling, click here.

To browse past issues of the All Saints Weekly, click here.

For "All Saints Smiles" and news about events, activities, programs, ministries and the staff of our parish, please click on the All Saints web site: www.allsaintsbrookline.org.

Many thanks to June Santosa, design, Barbara Bembery, distribution, and the contributors above who produce the All Saints Weekly each week.

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