St. Patrick Presbyterian Church, Epc

Jim calls these the "Dog Days of Lent," and boy, is he right. As you know, I've been over any delusional sense of my own spiritual fortitude ever since The Infamous Latte Debacle of week one. I'm just not that good at being anyone's superhero of discipline, even though I am passionately committed to the power of habit as a means of grace. But now it feels like the rest of the congregation has finally joined me in the doldrums, and we're all just sitting in mud and ashes, ready for joy again. Proverbs 13 tells us that "hope deferred makes the heart sick," and our hearts are sick and tired of lenten waiting. We want to celebrate the resurrected life through the season of Easter, with all its robust feasting and restful enjoyment!And yet, there's still that persistent cross with its long shadow looming in the foreground of life, casting darkness over everything in its narrow path. It's why I'm grateful that just before the ultimate Lenten darkness of Maundy Thursday and languishing despair of Good Friday, we cel