Dear Church,

As the season of Lent quickly approaches, we come full circle on a year of worship during a pandemic. Physical distancing no longer feels like such a challenge to us—you have discovered how to regularly pray and worship together in ways that protect the health of yourself and neighbor.

You have found new and surprising ways to celebrate all of our major church seasons and festivals except one—Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Some of you have asked, during a pandemic, how should we handle the imposition of ashes?

As I write this, portions of our synod lead the world in daily Covid cases per capita. Arizona leads the nation. New and significantly more contagious variants are moving across the United States.

With this in mind, the imposition of ashes is an intimate practice based on touch and close proximity that we cannot risk in this season.

There are, however, many creative ways to mark the beginning of Lent. One possibility is to organize the imposition of ashes within households. No doubt you have seen ideas for Lenten home kits. Some kits include ashes from the burnt palm fronds used in your church from 2020. Please share ideas of what you are doing with your conference dean or email me so we can share them with the synod.

During Lent, we carry out disciplines including the practices of fasting, prayer, and works of love. After a year of giving up so many things, to some it may feel like we have nothing left to forgo. Even though there are days we may feel like this, we know it is not true. God is here.

The disciplines of Lent call us to return to God’s mercy and grace. I encourage you to use these days of Lent for your own renewal and grounding in the love of Jesus and to discover how we live into the demands of the Gospel.

Thank you for your faithful leadership during these uncertain days. Thank you for seeking places of renewal and God’s grace in your life so that you can point to God’s grace for others.

Merciful God, accompany our journey through these forty days. Renew us in the gift of baptism, that we may provide for those who are poor, pray for those in need, fast from self-indulgence, and above all that we may find our treasure in the life of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

God does good through you,

The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer
Bishop
Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA