Lenten Thoughts
Shrove Tuesday Tuesday Feb 13th Come for Pancakes, stay for Ashes!!
5:30-6:45 Pancake Supper (by Donation)
7:00 Brief Service of Ashes
BACKGROUND Ash Wednesday is the day in the church year where we mark the beginning of the season of Lent. During this season, we are all invited to reflect on the things in our lives that may be causing us to be distant from God and distant from others. Beginning around the 11th century, the Ash Wednesday service became a way for Christians to physically mark and remember the beginning of the season. Historically, during the service, ashes are prepared from the palm fronds used during the Palm Sunday of the prior year as a way to point toward the Gospel message of the upcoming Easter. The ashes are mixed with oil and placed with the sign of the cross on the foreheads of the service participants and the words, “From dust you have come and to dust you will return,” are shared with each person. This can be a startling statement to hear. However, the purpose is not to alarm but to remind us that we have been created by God and that it is God who holds us in life and in death. Perhaps it is because of our increasingly virtual world, Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent become powerful opportunities to reconnect with our families, friends, our faith communities, and most importantly our Creator. The scent of the oil, the scratch of the ashes, and the sound of song and Word all provide us with different ways to feel and understand the significance of the season
Tune into the Season of LENT
This Lenten journey, you are invited to “tune in”
Originating in the fourth century, the season of Lent, spans 40 days beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding on the Saturday before Easter. Now if you go to your calendar and count days you will find 46 days! The reason for this is that Lent does not include the Sundays. Each Sunday is considered to be a “mini Easter”, where Christ’s resurrection is celebrated. These Sundays are referred to as Sundays in Lent. The number 40 is connected with many biblical events, but especially with the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for His ministry by facing the temptations that could lead him to abandon his mission and calling.
Originally, Lent was the time of preparation for those who were to be baptized. Today, Lent is marked by a time of prayer and preparation to celebrate Easter. Christians today use this period of time for introspection, self examination, and repentance. Lent has traditionally been marked by prayer and fasting. Some churches today still observe a rigid schedule of fasting on certain days during Lent, especially the giving up of meat, alcohol, sweets, and other types of food. Other traditions do not place as great an emphasis on fasting, but focus on charitable deeds.
Sunday Feb. 18th Lent 1. We set the tone for tuning into LENT. Music is a deep way to spend time pondering, relaxing and reflecting.
Sunday Feb 25th Lent 2. Old Time Hymn Sing Along – Please let us know your favorite hymns that you would love to sing! Sign up sheet is in the Welcome center!