A call to worship based on Joel 2, marking the start of Lent

This is the time.
This is the space.
These are the days that lie ahead
for us to see
the Holy One drawing near,
and return:

return to the land
that longs for renewal
and the seasons of fallow and fruiting,

return to the covenant
promises made long ago,
never-abandoned though we falter and forget,

return to ourselves
before stiff necks and hard hearts
make it hard to be held in the heart of the Holy.

40 days we mark.
40 nights we count.
40 measures of light and dark.
40 moments of turning and returning.
40 movements towards a changed heart
through a changed mind
through a changed perspective.

The earth groans.
The sky weeps.
And we rend our hearts –
not our garments –
with sorrow,
with longing,
with hope just beyond reach ….

In these 40 slow steps
towards the cross,
we remember.
We turn,
we wait,
and we are shaped
by the presence of the One
who is both near and far,
both revealed and hidden,
both Dear Friend and Infinite Mystery.

These 40 days are not just a count –
but a deep invitation
to return,
to change,
to open ourselves to the transformation that comes
through fire and ashes: