I took ten years of piano lessons.  My teacher was the soul of patience.  She needed to be, believe you me.  Mrs. Domasco was fabulous.  She has perfect pitch.  That was an advantage for her and the bane of my lessons.  Nothing slipped by her.  Not one wrong note.  I think she could even sense if I was using the wrong fingering for a scale or intricate passage of notes.  She is one of those persons with a condition known as synesthesia, a rare neurological condition in which two or more of the senses entwine.  Mrs, Domasco could hear colors.  Don't ask me how it works; it just does.  All these years later, I wish I had been a better student.  I wish I had learned to "sight read" music.  I can still play, but couldn't make a dime at it.  So I'm relegated to "Happy Birthday" and church hymns and a Christmas Carol or two.  Today she lives in Texas and, among other things, composes Advent Hymns for her church.  As any church musician knows, there is always need for liturgically and theologically correct Advent Hymns.  The occasion for this pastor's memo is Fredrick Chopin's birthday; March 1, 1810.  Mrs. Domasco introduced me to his Preludes and for that I am forever thankful.  Maybe one day I'll sit down and re-learn a couple of them.  It would sure bring back happy memories.

My father was born on George Washington's birthday, albeit 195 years later.  February 22nd is that day.  My mother was born on our nation's birthday, again, it was 148 years later.  July 4th is that day.  My sister was born on Groundhogs Day.  Since this particular holiday's genesis is rather foggy, somewhere back in either Celtic or German mythic lore, I can give you no "later" date after which my sister was born.  February 2nd is that day.  My son Keith was born on Albert Einstein's birthday, 102 years later.  March 14th is that day.  I was born on Labor Day, 66 years after it was officially established.  It was Thursday, but my mother "labored" that day, so I think it qualifies as "labor day."  There are lots of calendar coincidences in my family with respect to birthdays.  Sometimes we humans take special notice when our lives coincide with "special dates."  Those born on 9/11 or Christmas or who die on Good Friday (regardless the month or numerical day) might try to find a correlating significance with the date.  It may be good fun, but it's only coincidence.  Lent, however, isn't coincidental.  It begins with Ash Wednesday and that date is decided by counting back from when Easter is determined.  It's a specific date, but variable.  Does that make sense?  Lent is a fixed space of time on the calendar during which we focus our living in preparation for the Passion of Jesus.  We're almost half way through the season.  How are we doing with our fasting and our praying and our alms giving?  Are they front and center?  Do they mark our days?  Are we remembering our mortality?   Be sure of this.  God has not entered our lives coincidentally.  How long has it been from that first Passion time?  Not long enough for God to have forgotten why the Christ has come.  I encourage you to continue living a holy Lent.  Believe it makes a difference.  God bless you all.

Pastor’s Memo….. How many funerals did Jesus attend?  How many languages did he speak?  Did he shave as a young man?  Did he ever make a snow man?  What did he say when he stubbed his toe?  Or hit his thumb with a hammer in Joseph's shop?  Did he ever hold a girl's hand?  Did he do his own laundry?  Did he ever milk a goat?  Did he ever skin one?  Did he ever put coins in a beggar's cup?  It's Lent.  Mortality is our constant companion.  So too with Jesus.  This is an inescapable reality.  Out great hope is that our dusty mortality will one day be redeemed by that Jesus who shared our dusty mortality.  Knowing Jesus was just like us (only without sin) should fill us with joy and relief.  And if we're thinking properly, propel us to risk living mercy drenched lives.  What's to lose knowing and trusting the promises we have in Him?

"Standing on the corner watching all the girls go by."  The opening line in a very old song.  Written by Frank Loesser in 1956, it's from the Broadway musical "The Most Happy Fella."  The Four Lads recorded it on Columbia Records that same year and it reached # 3 on the Billboard Charts.  Enough history.  People watching used to be an unobtrusive hobby for lots of people.  I would guess most people-watchers were men; standing on the corner, as they would, watching all the girls go by.  Not a bad way to pass a minute or two or three or ninety, if you get my meaning.  Not many people do that kind of watching anymore.  We're too busy with our heads down keeping an eye on our devices.  Sending texts, checking e-mails, ordering from Amazon, Facebooking...Does anyone notice anyone anymore?  Are we so connected we're missing the greatest show on earth?  With over seven billion human bipeds on the earth we choose to connect through a thing, instead of a hand shake and a smile and then a cup of coffee or ice cream sundae.  It's Lent.  Ashes mark our mortality.  Time is short, in comparison to history.  Our flesh will eventually fall into death and there will be no more corners at which we can stand to watch anyone go by.  "Remember thou art dust and to dust thou shalt return.  Repent and believe the Gospel."  Timely words for all of us whether our eyes are glued to little screens or the ambling gait of another of God's creations.

The sunshine today has been a welcomed gift.  It helps us along as Winter finally gives way to Spring.  I know the days are lengthening.  Camelot Lakes are free of ice and my fishing pole beckons me.  But...it's still Lent, and will be until the sun rises on the 5th of April.  The Light of the World is soon to be lying in a grave.  I don't want this pastor's memo to be depressing.  However, I don't want to rush ahead too quickly out of this penitential season.  Remember your dust.  Remember you are dust.  Remember who it is that redeems that dust.  He still breathes; but soon will not.  Be patient.  The sun will rise, God willing, on the 5th and then we can all rejoice and give thanks.

Have you ever come across this bit of verbiage?  “This page is intentionally left blank.”  Huh?  If it were left blank, the words wouldn’t be there.  But they are.  Somebody’s crazy.

      What do we do when our minds spin with contradictions?  How do we decide what next to do or believe?  It’s not easy to know.  Sometimes we are left stumped. Sometimes we may be left paralyzed.   Eventually, we live on; carrying contradictions and paradoxes in our hearts and minds.

      Lent is a season of paradox.  We give something up in order to gain something else.  We deny ourselves some physical pleasure in order to enrich our spiritual living.  We do without to have more; more of something we can never measure or put in our pocket. 

      Jesus says he must go to Jerusalem to die and be raised so all of us can escape the consequences of death.  This is the promise he makes all of us in chapter 11 of St. John’s Gospel: “He who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” 

      All I can offer is this: Trust (believe) Jesus to tell us the truth in Lent and in every other season.  Trust (believe) Jesus to be the Beloved Son of God.  Trust (believe) Jesus to be the Way, The Truth, The Resurrection, and The Life.