Walk With me on Our Journey: Remember you are but dust or Stardust! Yikes it's Lent Again!

Dear Family of Love and Pilgrims on Our Journey,

Too many emotions today and yes even on our prayer walking pilgrimage tonight! March 5 will always have special meaning and this year with my cancer diagnosis coming on the heals of the 9th anniversary of my mother's passing even more so. The Liturgy for Ash Wednesday and the words that it contain do not help either since they remind us each year of our mortality! The priest imposes the ashes with these words ' You are but dust and to dust you shall return" I would prefer You are stardust and to stardust you shall return! We actually look like stardust. Today is the day and time of the year when I always put in a pitch for you to get your advance directive (living will) done and have the funeral arrangement talk. I have both and it is only a courtesy to your family members and friends to have these things done. FYI in California if you haven't made your funeral arrangements they will require you to bring with you a copy of the advance directive. Ok, enough with the morbid stuff. Here are words to one of my favorite hymn for Lent and Ash Wednesday!

Now Quit Your Care,

Now quit your care and anxious fear and worry;

for schemes are vain and fretting brings no gain.

Lent calls to prayer, to trust and dedication;

God brings new beauty nigh;

reply, reply, reply with love to love most high;

reply, reply, reply with love to love most high.

To bow the head in sackcloth and in ashes,

or rend the soul, such grief is not Lent's goal;

but to be led to where God's glory flashes,

God's beauty to come near.

Make clear, make clear, make clear where truth and light appear;

Make clear, make clear, make clear where truth and light appear.

For righteousness and peace will show their faces

to those who feed the hungry in their need,

and wrongs redress, who build the old waste places,

and in the darkness shine.

Divine, divine, divine it is when all combine!

Words: Percy dearmer (20thC)

Music: Quittez, Pasteurs, French carol; harm. Martin Fallas Shaw (20thC)

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O God as we begin our Lenten pilgrimage may we always remember it is your holy road walk and that there will be challenges set before us. May we feel your presence and know that you are with us and all we have to do is keep ourselves in your loving and redeeming arms. Help us this Lent and always to let go of all the worry, anxiety, and accumulation of things and thoughts and fill ourselves with YOU and YOU alone. Amen.
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I found this Lenten Litany written by Joyce Rupp and it says the right things. Tomorrow we will have original material. What strikes me about this litany, is that it is similar to some of the prayers that I have written.

Lenten Litany

When loved ones experience pain and suffering . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When illness, aging, or chronic pain diminish our joy . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When doubts arise and confusion fills our minds . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When others fail us or refuse to forgive us for our failings . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When we stumble and stray from the path of goodness . . . Remind us that your love is with us.
When death separates us from those we love dearly . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When financial problems threaten our security . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When depression or loneliness returns again and again . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When broken relationships seem unmendable . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When our faith strengthens and gives us courage . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When the precious gift of life is recognized and appreciated . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When unexpected kindness and caring comes our way . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When optimism stirs in our hearts and springtime returns . . .Remind us that your love is with us.
When the peace of Christ calms our anxiety and softens our sadness…Remind us that your love is with us.
When we realize that our loving presence can make a difference…Remind us that your love is with us.
When the joy of Easter permeates our hearts . . .Remind us that your love is with us.

~by Joyce Rupp~

from Out of the Ordinary

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That is all for tonight's Prayer walking Pilgrimage. I love you and I give thanks to God for you this day and always.

Peace, Love, Prayers, and Steady feet as we walk the Pilgrim way of Lent,

Sara