I’ve been saying it for weeks now but it’s hard to believe that Lent is almost here. Lent is a time of year that is really important for us as people of faith. We often talk to one another about what we’re going to give up for Lent and that part of Lent can be really meaningful for us. It is an intentional time of the year to let go of something from our lives that maybe we don’t need or have become reliant upon when maybe we shouldn’t. It’s more than saying, “I’m giving up chocolate, because it’s not good for me.” It’s a time to say that chocolate is something that I don’t need but I indulge myself in it regularly and now is a time when I am going to intentionally sacrifice or offer that unnecessary thing to God.
We spend this time without something in our lives as a reminder of the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness without anything as well as to help us prepare to be filled with what comes after. And, no, I don’t mean the giant solid chocolate Easter bunny that you got at the grocery store to celebrate your victory of ‘no chocolate’ during Lent. I mean to fill that empty space you created with the joy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
But before we get to that joyous moment, we must journey through Lent together. So we invite you to join us for all the opportunities we have during the season of Lent. We begin this season with Ash Wednesday this Wednesday February 14th. We will have services at 12:15pm and 6pm. The 6pm service will be preceded by a soup supper at 5pm.
This year we will journey together during Lent while journeying through our Lenten theme of ‘The Wilderness’. It is a very fitting theme for the season of Lent and all that it means, as well as the part of the country that we live in. We will explore this idea of Wilderness through our worship space as well as our gatherings on Wednesday evening services.
So, to get the full experience of the Wilderness you are encouraged to worship with us every Wednesday during the season of Lent. Soup suppers will be at 5pm and service will be at 6pm. Join us for both of just for worship. We will once again be using Holden Evening Prayer as our liturgy for our evening services accompanied by Wilderness text and conversations each week.
I pray that you take advantage of all the opportunities that we have created to make this Lenten season meaningful for your faith journey. May God bless you and accompany you in whatever way you wander through this Lenten Wilderness in 2024.
Blessings,
Pastor Brian
