This Sunday we are going to have flowers adorning our sanctuary as part of our service, given in memory of Edie and Christine Hildreth (This is something that people can do anytime throughout the year!)

Some churches have a practice of not putting out flowers during Lent. I understand this tradition. It is a way to mark this more sober, sombre, penitential and introspective time of year.

However, I’m glad that we will have flowers on this Sunday in Lent.

For one, because it reminds us that we do not say Sundays “of” Lent, but instead Sundays “in” Lent. It reminds us that every Sunday is a mini-Easter, a mini-feast of the resurrection. This is why for some people, they will break their Lenten fasts and practices on Sundays, as it is always an opportunity and cause for feasting and celebration.

For another thing, it reminds us that the word ‘Lent’ comes from an Old English word meaning “spring season.” It reminds us that Lent is often described as the springtime of the soul.

But most importantly, it marks this particular Sunday that we call Laetare Sunday. This mirrors the third Sunday in Advent, which we call Gaudete. Both are rose/pink days as opposed to the Advent blue and Lenten purple. Both Gaudete and Laetare mean joy – and that is what they are for.

The work of Lent is very important. We need to confess our sins. We need to repent. We need to make amends to those we have harmed. We need to reflect upon and change how our actions or attitudes hurt others. We need to reorient our lives towards what is good, what is of God. We need to face the pain and brokenness that is in us, that is in the world.

Lent is indeed a sober, sombre, penitential and introspective season.

But we cannot do this beautiful, important work without joy. It is what will sustain us.

Lent is the time of cold, quiet, decomposing work: manure and mulch, pruning, cutting back, weeding, planting, and waiting. Work that ultimately will help the flowers grow.

Just as the snowdrops coming up and the buds beginning to form on the trees are a promise of what is to come, may these flowers, may this Laetare Sunday be a foretaste of what is coming, a sign and celebration of the promise of Easter, of resurrection, of God making all things new in the world and in our lives.

May we begin to see those buds and flowers begin to appear in our lives.

Thanks be to God!

CG+