As we remember the ascension- we remember Jesus' call to love and to be a witness of God's goodness. May we bear one another's burdens, be patient with one another, and invite others to be a part of God's ever-increasing movement of freedom and love.

When we look at scripture, we see that some of the most major acts of resistance against the systems and powers that were oppressing people were enacted by women.

Jesus modeled for us how to be vulnerable, forgiving, and how to remove shame from those around us. When we allow shame to control us, we separate ourselves from others and from God. How can we best live a life of freedom, love, and vulnerability?

The resurrection changed the game completely- so what does this mean for us now? What changed, exactly, and how does this impact us and how we operate within the Kingdom of God?

Having a sense of belonging is incredibly important, but our society has pushed us further and further apart. How do we regain this for ourselves, and make space for others? How do we prioritize belonging for our communities as the body of Christ?

The way of Jesus is a way of hospitality. How can we be truly and radically hospitable? By being a safe place, listening, empowering, being willing to be inconvenienced, be willing to be surprised, and refusing to allow ourselves to be the victim of someone else's story. True hospitality encourages the flourishing of those around us.

Jesus has come to liberate us and to reveal a humanity where we are all set free, empowered, and out from under systems of dehumanization and oppression. How do we truly examine our own attachment to these systems?

It's so easy to only see the negatives, and to catastrophize our own lives and futures. But when we think with a new narrative, one of grace, and patience, and hope, it reframes our minds and helps us to be able to create abundance and flourishing for our neighbors.

How can we use the time of Lent to embrace being present, to leave things behind that we no longer need, and to come through this time changed? How do we give permission to those around us to grow and embrace change on their own journeys?