My dear Good Samaritans,

I can’t believe it, but next week we will enter into our first Lent together.

We as an international church, The Episcopal Church, as well as Good Samaritan as a parish hold as one of our core beliefs that every single person has and is worthy of dignity and love. We affirm it in our baptismal covenant. We believe that all people are made in the image and likeness of God. It doesn’t matter your gender, race, sexual orientation, or even your beliefs, you are of God. We welcome you and we affirm who you are is beloved by God.

For far too long in the Christian church we have utilized outdated notions of who God is and what God may be like. Humans have made God in the image of the dominant culture. The result has been that our image of God, is as an old, white, bearded, cisgender, heterosexual, man. Television and movies have helped to popularize this idea. However, this image could not be further from the truth. Theology, scripture, and tradition have always held that God is outside of human norms and understanding. God is simultaneously all genders and at the same time beyond all genders. Unfortunately, our liturgies have not reflected that. As a result, women, queer, lesbian, gay, trans, and so many other people have felt isolated. Or, even worse, that they are not welcome because the god Christianity describes and the terms we use for God do not reflect their experience.

St. Augustine once famously said, “If you understand, it is not God.” As humans all of our language about God will ultimately fail. That said, though, all of Christianity can do better than we have done in the past.

And, so, this Lent I want us as a parish to try something. We are going to experiment with the language that we use in worship. As much as is possible we are going to use liturgies and texts approved by The Episcopal Church and our bishop, but that use inclusive and expansive language. As much as is possible in our corporate worship we will avoid referring to God or the Holy Spirit as he, Lord, Father, etc. because these terms solely reflect masculine aspects of God to the point that we miss the feminine and non-binary attributes that make God dynamic and all encompassing.

The season of Lent calls us into deeper prayer, self-denial, and giving. We will enter more deeply in our communal prayer life by using the fullness of terms for God that our language can afford. And, our Psalms will come from the St. Helena Psalter (psalter is a fancy word for book of psalms)—this particular version is the single best and seamless translation of the psalms I have found that retains the beautiful poetry of the psalms that we are used to and at the same time removes gendered terminology for God.

Maybe you will notice the changes. Maybe you won’t. Maybe moving away from some of this language during the liturgy will in itself be an act of self-denial or challenge your generosity of spirit. These are all valid responses and all Lenten disciplines. My hope is that by engaging with God using different language we will be able to, as our Lenten devotional Full to the Brim desires for us, to find a more expansive relationship with God that allows all people to live more fully.

In this same space each week, I will draw your attention to and explain why we are using a specific facet of our Sunday liturgy. And, when possible, provide some historical context as well.

My dream for us is to fully embrace our Church and parish tradition that opens our doors wide for all people. May our God, who is all in all, open our minds and hearts into a deeper and prayerful understanding of God’s embrace and universal love.

Blessings to you all in these final days before Lent.

Peace,

Fr. Chris