Easter 2012
During this season we renew our baptismal promises, remembering and re- committing to a way of life. This faith life invites us to grow in awareness of God in and around and through us . It is a gift, and yet we care for it and cultivate it as we strive to live with lives that reflect the love and mercy of God by living a conscious life, that constantly seeks to reveal the presence of God who creates.
Our planet is our home, created to be loved and lived in with respect.
This Lent, the Seasonal Planning committee is providing you the background inspirations behind the the decor, the prayers, symbols, choice of music and the inspiration for liturgical dance.
journey: Is a key word this year as we join four candidates for baptism at the Easter Vigil. We also ponder our own faith journey as we continue to deepen our faith and walk with our heart taking only the essentials to meet more intentionally with God.
This year, to help us pray the journey, those who are able will gather at the entrance, we take a moment of silence to remember our journey and God with us, and then process in together as the Presence of Christ – for Christ is present in the assembly and together, as the Body of Christ, we enter into the mystery of our faith and prayer and this season of fasting, prayer and almsgiving.
The Decor comes from an intense and spiritual experience of our Decorating Duo John Weir and Dorothy Collins
Inspiration – Lent Banner, February 2012.
The Guatemala City dump is a large deep wide pit in a densely populated area of the city. Impoverished families (majority are women and children ) live in homes carved out of the walls of garbage in an area adjacent to the active city dump. With dignity and pride many work hard to keep these tiny tin and cardboard homes clean, but with no running water or plumbing it is an impossible task.
Each day the women leave their homes to walk down into the dump where they meet incoming trucks arriving with trash. The women will be there for long hours harvesting the dump like farmers harvesting vegetable gardens. They scrabble through refuse that arrives from all over the Guatemala City. Trash from hospitals, restaurants, industries, and housing communities. It is filthy smelly work and they suffer from many abuses; threats of disease, noise, physical assaults etc..
Far across the dump there is a cemetery high on a cliff overlooking this scene. We stand there and observe the activity below. This is shocking. This daily routine is so very far removed from our lives. The women walk down the truck trails into the piles of garbage…….. hoping . The trucks dump and the women lift and empty bags in search of hidden treasurers; rooting for things that they might sell…..hoping
All around us the vultures swirl and soar in wide circles weaving a route toward the women. They are searching for food .
I once thought of vultures with great scorn; large birds, scavengers of carrion, taking from tragedy, competing for life. This time they fly just above us and land beside us. I watch them closely and see the grace with which they soar. They stand proudly in community groups and preen. Their presence over and with the women is disturbing. Their grace and pride seems to debase the humanness of the women.
I look and wonder. Are they competing or are they sharing? Each, women and vultures, taking turns to scavenge what they need to live. One could argue that they are co-operating, vultures take the food and the women take the profits from collectible garbage . I wonder is there a lesson here?
Isn’t it odd? We are told that if everyone in the world knew how to share; there would, in fact, be enough for all. Who defines enough? We don’t understand enough.
Some of us know too much, in our extravagance.
Others of us know too little in desperation to live.
I believe that Lent is a time to reflect …… This lent decor was inspired by the women and the vultures of Guatemala
Dorothy Collins
The Entrance way looks a little different.... 
You will also see that there is a large pool set on the floor filled with sand and cactus as well as the bowl from the font filled with Water. This is where our journey begins – in the desert, wth Jesus in prayer, and with our candidates, walking with them to the waters of baptism.
The Music and Dance notes will be posted by Saturday Feb 25th, 2012
Your questions and comments are valued.