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My name is Obi, and I love and trust my master completely, I go to bed knowing that she will be there in the morning and that she will protect me while I rest.  My master provides all my needs: food, shelter, walks to the park, toys, snacks, hugs, kisses, a warm bed (hers 🙂 and the unsolicited bath quite often :(.  I love her so much! I fully trust her and know that under her care nothing will ever happen to me! She is my everything! Every time I see her my world brightens.

Siblings in Christ may your Lenten journey transform your doubt into trust in the Lord!

Yo le digo al Señor: «Tú eres mi refugio, mi castillo, ¡mi Dios, en quien confío!» (Salmo 91:2)

Me llamo Obi, y amo y confio en mi ama completamente, me voy a dormir sabiendo que ellla estara alli en la mañana y que me protejera mientras descanso.  Mi ama me provee de todas mis necesidades: comida, techo, caminatas por el parque, juguetes, snacks, abrazos, besos, una cama calientita (la de ella 🙂 y me baña demasiado seguido para mi gusto :(. La amo tanto! Confio ciegamente en ella y se que bajo su cuidado nunca me pasara nada malo! Ella lo es todo para mi! Cada vez que la veo mi mundo se ilumina.

Familia en Cristo que su viaje de cuaresma transforme su duda en una confianza entera en el Señor!

Rev. Violeta Siguenza

What you need to know about me is I don’t know details. I will continue to google for specifics I want to know about liturgical church traditions—aka, stuff lay people ask—as we go forward.

I do know I am loved unconditionally and so is everyone else. What could be more important? The minutiae will follow. Maybe.

Lectionary Readings

Thu – Mar 3 Exodus 5:10-23 Acts 7:30-34 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

On the way home from church, I stopped to pick up eggs. The checker asked me about the ashes on my forehead. I startled. How soon I forget I am marked as Christ’s own forever. I responded, “The priest said they are a sign of our humble beginnings and our common mortality.” How often do we go that deep when paying for food?

I join our bishop in saying, “Beloved, I wish you a blessed, holy and life-changing Lent.”

Lectionary Readings
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Isaiah 58:1-12 {alternate}
Psalm 51:1-17 (1)
2 Corinthians 5:20b—6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

My understanding of Mardi Gras is wild and crazy, and the last of the Alleluias for a while. I chose an outrageous photo in the hopes you would read on. Must say, I am gleeful that my friends, Pastor Violeta and Father Malcolm, have agreed to join me as guest bloggers. We are almost there. Once we have you, our dear readers, on board we’ll be ready for wherever God takes us next.

Introducing Malcolm: After 20+ years working for the Episcopal church in the areas of children, youth, and young adult ministry as well as college chaplaincy, Malcolm recently finished seminary at The University of the South School of Theology. As an ordained priest, he now serves at Holy Cross Episcopal in Redmond, WA.

Introducing Violeta: Violeta has served as a pastor for the Lutheran Church (ELCA) for 20+ years at Farmers Branch in Walnut Hill, Texas. She was recently called to new ministry as the Interim Director of Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest, employed through Wartburg Theological Seminary. Given her love of people, Violeta is finishing her Psychology degree at the University of Texas in Arlington.

I was grateful to worship with and get to know Violeta at Holden Village, a Lutheran Retreat Center in Chelan, WA and Malcolm when he worked at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral before seminary.

We want to get to know each other better as we express our hearts in response to the daily Lectionary. We know our Lectionary verses transcend the differences of our Lutheran and Episcopal denominations. Between us, we represent several other attributes:  Black, Brown and White; clergy and lay; Spanish and English; woman and man. In this soon-to-be-post-pandemic world, we know it is more important than ever before to connect across these differences. Of course, there are many characteristics we share: love of family, appreciation for creativity through writing and photography, as well as a deep belief in God’s baptismal covenant. We intend to show how creative sharing and prayer enhance connections and deepen friendships.