Dear Church,
 
Today, February 22, is the beginning of Lent: a journey that starts in the wilderness and ends at the foot of the cross.  Lent is a time for looking at our lives and at the world with clear and honest eyes.  And this year, I invite you to approach the season as a time of seeking.  Seeking a closer relationship with God.  Seeking mutual flourishing in our relationships with one another, with creation, with ourselves.  Seeking clarity on what needs to change in ourselves and in our lives to draw closer to God, to each other, and to our truest selves. 
 
We will follow that theme of seeking throughout Lent: by asking deep questions, each week, about our lives of faith and by listening quietly for the answers that arise.  The posture of seeking is a posture of openness – it recognizes that we are still being formed, still in need of change.  It invites us to approach Lent with curiosity, with humility. 
 
As you think about what practices you might take up (or put down) during Lent, I encourage you to consider what might help you in that work of seeking.  Think about what you need as a spiritual seeker. More time in prayer?  Undistracted time outside?  A daily practice of reading Scripture?  A practice of giving-back – to those you love, to those in need, to the earth?
 
My Lenten practice this year was suggested to me by my spiritual director – a clergy person who I work with to keep my own spiritual life robust.  She suggested an hour a day of “alone time with God.”  Not prayer – just sitting in the quiet and being in God’s presence.  For me, it’s a practice of being, not doing.  It’s a way of drawing nearer to God – of remembering to notice God’s presence all around me and within me.  It's a way of remembering to listen.
 
I encourage you to listen to your own heart as you discern what you need for the Lenten journey to come.  And please reach out if you’d like some help figuring out what that might be. I’m happy to be your conversation partner in your own discernment of what your Lenten journey might look like.
 
Finally, I’ll be drawing on a set of resources – art, guiding questions, and liturgical materials — produced by a creative team called A Sanctified Art, a group of ordained clergy and artists.  If any of you are interested in going deeper into the work of seeking, they have produced a beautiful daily devotional to guide your Lenten seeking.  Send me an e-mail and I’ll be happy to send you the PDF!
 
Blessings, friends, on the journey to come.  I look forward to a rich and meaningful walk to Easter with all of you.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Andi

Journey to Easter begins on March 7!  Please help spread the word - kids of all ages are welcome!  No musical experience and no church experience required!  And we'll be looking for a couple of volunteers to help with the meal and with some of the activities, so contact Pastor Andi if you're interested in helping out!

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

-Genesis 3:4-5

 
The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

-Matthew 4:3 

 
To obey is literally to liste; to disobey, therefore, is to not listen.  The first sin, as it is told in the story of Eve and Adam, is the sin of not listening.  Or, as it turns out, of listening to the wrong voice.  Adam and Eve disregard clear instructions from God and listen, instead, to the manipulative voice of the serpent.  Jesus, in the wilderness, shows us a different path.  Confronted with the voice of the tempter, he chooses — three times — to listen to God.
 
The point is clear: who we listen to matters.  And each of us is bombarded, day in and day out, by all kinds of messages from all kinds of messengers: it can be hard to discern which voices are leading us towards flourishing life – and which are leading us away. These are noisy times. 
 
But Lent is a time to get quiet.  It’s a time to listen.  To pay close attention to where our attention is being focused.  And to deepen our practice of listening for God. God’s voice is the one that tells us we are God’s beloved.  God’s voice is the one that calls us towards flourishing life – for ourselves and all those with whom we share this planet. 
 
As you begin this journey into Lent, consider the voices that you’re listening to.  Which voices are pulling you toward fullness of life?  And which are pulling you in directions that are life-limiting?  Try carving out some time, this week, for silence.  Time to listen for the still, small voice of God.  Inviting us, always, into deeper belovedness.
 
In your life and in your seeking, friends, may the love of God be with you. 
 
Grace and peace,
 
Pastor Andi

Our first gathering will be Wednesday, March 1, at TCP.  Beginning at 6:00 PM in the vestry, we’ll discuss the first two chapters over a simple supper of soup & bread.  We’ll then move up to the Sanctuary for a short time of quiet, contemplative worship.  (The soup & bread will be provided by a couple of volunteers each week – so you don’t need to bring anything at all, other than yourself.  But if you’d like to volunteer to bring soup or bread in a subsequent week, you’ll have a chance to do so!)
 

The menu this month will be: 

Feb    22     4 p.m.           Choir Rehearsal
Feb.   22     6 p.m.           Ash Wednesday potluck supper at Trinity Episcopal
Feb    22     7 p.m.           Ash Wednesday ecumenical service at Trinity Episcopal
Feb    26     9:30 a.m.      Sunday Worship (in person & streaming)
Feb    27     1 p.m.           Shawl Ministry
Feb    28     9 a.m.           Bible Study (Zoom)
 

Mar     1      4 p.m.         Choir Rehearsal
Mar     1      6 p.m.         Lent Gathering at TCP
Mar     3      2 p.m.         No Neighbor Left Behind
Mar     5      9:30 a.m.    Sunday Worship (in person & streaming)
Mar     7      9 a.m.         Bible Study (Zoom)
Mar     7      4 p.m.         Kids Journey to Easter
Mar     8      4 p.m.         Choir Rehearsal
Mar     8      6 p.m.         Lent Gathering at Trinity
 

It's a harbinger of spring! Though we are in the heart of winter, the delivery of the spring edition of Our Daily Bread is inspiring. 
 
Get the latest copy of Our Daily Bread now. This little book of daily devotions is designed to inspire you to spend time with God every day. Pick up a copy at church this Sunday, or contact the office 207-326-9486 and we can arrange to get a copy to you. There are still copies of the winter edition which goes to the end of February. Don't miss a day!

If you’re interested in providing flowers, or serving as an usher, or bringing coffee hour refreshments, or spending time in the Children’s Corner with the littlest members of our community, please visit the Sign-Up Genius:
 

or sign up on the clip-boards downstairs in the Vestry.
We are looking for ushers for Feb 26. March is wide open, so sign up online or in the Vestry for any task that you'd like to take on!

All are welcome to join an ecumenical Bible study, co-hosted by TCP and Trinity Episcopal Church, every Tuesday at 9 a.m.  Each week, we read and discuss the texts for the upcoming Sunday - as appointed by the Revised Common Lectionary.  The coming week's texts can be found above.  (Wondering what the Revised Common Lectionary is?  Read more here!) 

This Bible study happens over Zoom, so folks can (and do!) join from far and near.  Here’s the Zoom information, which will remain unchanged week to week.

If you or someone you know is in need of our prayers, either individually or during our time of congregational prayer in Sunday worship, please let Pastor Andi know, using her contact information below. 
 

For non-emergency pastoral care needs or visits, please contact Andi by e-mail or telephone below, using the contact information below.  For emergency pastoral care needs that arise outside of regular church hours, please call or text Andi on her cell phone: (802)-989-1448.

Yes, social media is complicated.  And yes, our feelings about it are many and varied.  And, it is one of the many ways that we can help people get to know about the good things happening at TCP.  The church has a Facebook page and an Instagram account, on which Pastor Andi shares this newsletter, announcements about news & events & resources that might be of interest, photos and posts about and from church gatherings, and invitations to worship.
 
The goal is to keep the folks who already know about TCP connected and to reach folks who don’t yet know about TCP.  And if you are on Facebook or Instagram, you can help with that project! 

 Thank you!