A blessed Ash Wednesday to you! I hope you are holding up amidst the wind and rain.
Today marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a 40-day journey the church sets aside for contemplation, prayer and preparation before celebrating the promise of Easter. Approximately one-tenth of the calendar year, Lent is like a tithe of days. A time of year to flex our muscles of resistance, to confront the idols we so routinely substitute for God. We know where this story is headed – to the pain and suffering of the cross – but we also know the story doesn’t end there. As Shadrach Lockridge, the prominent Black pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego, used to preach, “It’s Friday…but Sunday’s coming!”
We will hold two worship services today, as we kick off our 2023 Lenten theme, “Hope: A User’s Manual.” The first service is geared toward families, as part of our regular Midweek Meetup program – programming starts at 5pm (as usual) and the service will start at 5:30pm in the sanctuary (with optional imposition of ashes). Then, everyone is invited to join us for a simple supper of soup, bread, and kid-friendly food at 6:00pm down in WMFC. No need to RSVP – just come! Finally, at 6:45pm we will gather for a contemplative Ash Wednesday service in the sanctuary – with readings, songs, prayers, communion and an opportunity to receive ashes. The 6:45pm service in the sanctuary will also be livestreamed and available for viewing afterward, too. See the video and bulletin links below.
- 5:00pm – 5:30 Midweek Meetup programming (WMFC)
- 5:30pm – 6:00 Family worship service (Sanctuary)
- 6:00pm – 6:40 Soup supper (WMFC)
- 6:45pm – 7:30 Ash Wednesday worship (Sanctuary)
Please click here to access the Ash Wednesday bulletin
Please click here to access the Livestream video.
