Dear Friends,

Moses in our first reading for this Third Sunday of Lent, sees a
bush that is burning and approaches in wide-eyed and wide-hearted wonder to see
what this is about. One spiritual writer says every bush is burning, if
only we have the eyes to see. What are the burning bushes in your life
teaching you about God and about yourself?

As the cardinals gather in Rome to elect a new Pope, I am
reminded of Bishop Patricia Fresen of Roman Catholic Women Priests saying in
her Call to Action keynote address: we need less Pope and more Jesus. She
says, "What the people in the Church want is to live the inclusivity and
compassion of Jesus and to move away from the clericalism, the
excommunications, the silencing, the suspensions, the banning from communion
and the condemnations of books such as those by Elizabeth Johnson and Margaret
Farley." She goes on to challenge the Church to move from power
over to power with. She finds inspiration in Diarmuid
O'Murchu's "companionship of empowerment." What a wonderful mission for
us to empower each other through companionship. Jesus would jump for joy in
that and be resurrected in the People of God-likeness. That is what we
strive to do at The Spirit of Life and invite you to join us in that
mission.

In our second reading today at Eucharist, Mary Oliver offers us
inspiration about seeing the burning bushes in our own lives.

Mysteries, Yes

Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous

to be understood.

How grass can be nourishing in the

mouths of the lambs.

How rivers and stones are forever

in allegiance with gravity

while we ourselves dream of rising.

How two hands touch and the bonds

will never be broken.

How people come, from delight or the

scars of damage,

to the comfort of a poem.

Let me keep my distance, always, from those

who think they have the answers.

Let me keep company always with those who say

"Look!" and laugh in astonishment,

and bow their heads.

~ Mary Oliver ~

(Evidence)

We wonder what white smoke over the Vatican will bring—though we
have no control over that, we do have the power to empower each other with
companionship. As the cardinals gather in conclave, we are contemplating
showing "Pink Smoke over the Vatican" again and are open to your suggestions on
where and when might inspire the most people. We are wondering about a
church or theater in Boston or Cambridge that would have parking and access to
public transportation. (The conclave might be scheduled between March 15
and 20.)

We invite you to come and walk with us in prayer and action at
The Spirit of Life. Through our time of prayer and sharing together, we
work together to grow in our self-understanding and in our relationships with
God and with God's people. We celebrate the gift of our faith and the
responsibility that is ours as followers of Jesus Christ.  It is our
prayer that what we as a community experience in our praying together will
overflow into the rest of our lives, making us more fully human and more
'whole'....holy!  We invite you to join us in this endeavor and
journey with us as we seek to grow in our love of God and to grow in our
capacity to be living expressions of God's loving peace and justice in our
world.

May God's light and love continue to live within each of us and
move us to be non-violent agents of change for peace and for justice in our
world and to empower each other with companionship.

Ron & Jean