Celebrate Today- ceremonies and celebrations to make your days count

My favorite part of Easter morning is putting the flowers on our crown of thorns (a tradition we have done now for 10 years).  It is a reminder to me that no sin is greater than God's love and that no matter what our past has been, we can begin anew.  God continues to journey with us today, and this journey comes to fulfillment in the Resurrection. All the pain, suffering, mistakes, sins, successes, and failures of the human family are brought to new life in the risen Jesus. “To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have traveled; this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future.”   (Pope Francis,  Homily at the Easter Vigil , 30 March 2013) 

When I went to visit my friend Heather last weekend, she had their family's Lenten wreath on the table with a little frame that says, "It is never too late to begin."  Having Ash Wednesday the same day as Valentine's Day this year along with an extended visit from her mom, sister and nephew, she reported that they had just not gotten into a rhythm.  While she was not sure if it was worth it because of the lost time, she decided she would dust off her Lenten wreath even though it was already halfway through Lent.  In some ways, this is the most honest approach we can bring to Lent. We set out to practice certain disciplines, and yet, we falter and get off track so easily.  Our intentions are good, but our distractions get the best of us. We need God's grace for each day, and this is a reminder that His forgiveness is the fresh start we are invited to embrace.  May this Lent continue to be a reminder to you that it is never ever too late to begin aga...

Today is the day before the official kick off of Lent tomorrow with Ash Wednesday. I have many memories of our church youth group hosting the annual pancake suppers on this night each year. It’s also known as Mardi Gras which is French for “Fat Tuesday.” A little history lesson is in order to understand how pancakes became a thing on the day before Lent.   People would clean out their cupboards of butter, eggs, milk and sugar which were restricted foods during the Lenten fast.   Putting these all together in pancakes was a great way to eat up these pantry items that would not keep until Easter when the fast was over. It was also the last chance to feast before Lent began.   Check out a broader history  here  and  here . We sure enjoyed our pancake/waffle feast this evening and a last hit of chocolate for me before the season begins. :)  my going away card to Chocolate for Lent picturing  my last hurrah at Chocolati ...

This Lenten season, I found myself so aware of my need to turn to God as my disappointments and failures led me to depend on God more fully. This crown of thorns is such a gift to me each year, but it seemed especially poignant this year as it was a tangible reminder of the choice I have each moment to run to God and not away from him.  Hallelujah!  Today we celebrate that are beloved and set free.  He is risen. He is risen indeed!  holding onto our faith that we can wear forgiveness like a crown ... 

We dug up our Alleluia ribbons on Sunday, and they added color and joy to the afternoon.  So sweet to have the gift of Easter to give us reason to sing "ALLELUIA!" and to "unbury" that word that has been hidden from sight during Lent... pulling the Alleluia ribbons out of the bag that were buried in our garden for the last 40+ days  We are Easter people and Alleluia is our song! 

Our crown of thorns that we began at the start of Lent  turned into a crown of glory this morning for Easter!!  Every Easter with this tradition, the words from the song "At the Foot of the Cross" come to mind:  Trade these ashes in for beauty And wear forgiveness like a crown Coming to kiss the feet of mercy I lay every burden down at the foot of the cross

Below is another Lenten tradition that we've put into practice the last few years:  Alleluia Ribbons  We got out our "alleluia" ribbons  which are made of simple wooden dowels and colorful ribbons with “alleluia” written on the ribbons, we tucked these carefully into plastic bags and buried them for the season of Lent.   “Because of the penitential character of the season of Lent, singing or saying the word “alleluia” has historically been suspended during Lent’s forty days. This period of individual and congregational reflection on the quality of our baptismal faith and life suggests that the joyful nature of alleluia is more appropriately reserved for our Easter celebrations when it is given full and jubilant voice. An alternate gospel acclamation for Lent that omits the alleluia is provided for all settings of Holy Communion in  Evangelical Lutheran Worship . The omission of alleluia during Lent goes back at least to the...

Lent:  a six-week season in spring leading up to Holy Week and Easter, remembering the forty days that Israel spent in the wilderness and the forty days of Christ’s testing in the wilderness.  Lent is an Old English word that means “spring” or “season of growth or renewal.” " Whether we feel ready or not, this day (Ash Wednesday) marks the beginning of the Church’s observance of the Lenten season—six weeks that are set apart for the purpose of drawing closer to God and seeking him with greater intensity. Unfortunately, the Lenten season often gets reduced to the question, 'What are you giving up for Lent?' This is a fine question, but it can only take us so far. The real question of the Lenten season is, 'How will I repent and return to God with all my heart?' " - Ruth Haley Barton It's hard to believe that Ash Wednesday is tomorrow.  Over the weekend, we pulled out some of the things we've used over the years to mark this time of Lent.  T...