A Note From Dean: Surprise Gems

A Note from Dean

 Dear Friends,

 Sometimes prospectors find gold. I was rummaging around looking for Lenten books that might be of interest here at Western, and I happened on a treasure. It’s called “Were You There? Lenten Reflections on the Spirituals” by Luke Powery. Powery is Dean of the Duke University Chapel and he teaches homiletics (preaching) at Duke’s Divinity School. He was ordained by the Progressive National Baptist Convention and has served in an ecumenical capacity in churches throughout Switzerland, Canada, and the United States.

 “Were You There” is a little book of daily meditations on the Spirituals for the Christian season of Lent that merges the two worlds of Black music with the church calendar in order to help the reader travel the forty days of the Lenten wilderness with courage and honesty.

 I appreciate that Powery also wrote in his introduction, “For many, life is a Lent. But I pray that this small offering would bring you into God’s presence to know that Jesus is right there with you in your suffering and pain. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is with us whether our trials and tribulations are minor, or they are tragic.

 For five weeks in Lent we will gather in the Courtyard Room for a simple meal at 6:30, and then adjourn to the Conference Room in order to join friends Zooming from home.

 I’ve prepared a Study Booklet that you can request from Nik (Nik@westernpresbyterian.org) or pick up at church on Sunday. Please do the reading assigned, and bring your favorite Study Bible to class in order to get the most from the lessons. You do not need to buy the book, but you may want to.

 Class #One is Thursday, February 22.

 Expectantly,

 Dean