Message from the Pastor, March 2026
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16,17)
My dear friends,
We have crossed the threshold into the season of Lent, a time for self-reflection and return to God. Perhaps you have decided to take up an extra practice during this time, or give up something during these forty days to help you go deeper? Maybe you are reading a daily devotion or you’ve decided to fast from a food you love — something to remind you every time you do it, to return to God and make space for the Holy in your life. May it be a time of blessing and deepening for you as we make our way towards Holy Week, and ponder with the disciples just who is this man, Jesus of Nazareth, whom we are following?
Throughout March we will be hearing rich stories from the Gospel of John about Jesus’ mission and ministry with his disciples, including the visit with the Pharisee Nicodemus, the story of the Woman at the Well, the healing of the Blind Man, and the raising of Lazarus, leading up to the entry into Jerusalem, and the last week of his life, which will begin on Sunday, March 29th, Palm Sunday. This month we will examine what kind of Messiah Jesus came to be, and how he showed us through his words and actions. I pray our hearts may be open to hear how the Holy was at work through Jesus then, and continues to be in our time, now.
This is a special season of Lent because it marks a convergence of holy days in multiple faiths — something for us to honor and cherish. The Holy Month of Ramadan, one of the five pillars of Islam, occurs February 17 – March 19, 2026, when Muslims fast each day until nightfall in solidarity with all who are hungry, to bring them back to simplicity and compassion, giving and sharing from what they have. Our Jewish neighbors will be honoring the holy days of Passover (Pesach) from sundown April 1 through sundown April 9, 2026 — telling stories of God’s saving power redeeming the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and reflecting on the nature of freedom. We will remember in Holy Week that Jesus was celebrating the Passover with his disciples as a faithful Jewish man, and that his final days in Jerusalem come out of that blessed heritage for him, and for us.
As we go through our own Lenten practices and times of reflection:
*May we honor and wish a blessing to our Muslim friends as they fast and pray, saying “Ramadan Mubarak” (Arabic for “Blessed Ramadan”).
*May we honor and wish a blessing to our Jewish friends remembering their deep kinship with us, saying, "Happy Passover" or the Hebrew phrase "Chag Pesach Sameach" (pronounced Chag Peh-sach sah-MAY-ach), which means "Happy Passover Festival."
Together, may this holy season among all the faiths descended from Abraham be a blessing among us, and a light to the world.
Amen! Rev. Marisa