I don’t know how Lent managed to sneak up on us so quietly, but it did. Ash Wednesday is next week and with it begins our annual 6-week pilgrimage to Holy Week when we remember and mark the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem and all the events of his final days there. Lent is a holy time for Christ’s followers during which we pay close attention to our inner lives and invite God’s Spirit to be at work in us through the disciplines of prayer, repentance of sin, fasting, and simplicity.
At Memorial, we have a number of ways we will be seeking to help you make the Lenten pilgrimage this year. We will gather for a Taizé style worship service on Ash Wednesday evening at 6:00PM in the Sanctuary. Then, each Wednesday evening of Lent, Pastors Carrie and Alyce, and myself will lead our church-wide Lenten study of Adam Hamilton’s The Lord’s Prayer. This study will take place live over Facebook at 6:30PM and a recording of each session will be posted to YouTube afterward. The Lord's Prayer will also be the main theme for our Sunday morning worship services and sermons during Lent.
We will also be joining with our brothers and sisters in Christ from Trinity UMC, St. Peter’s Episcopal, and First Presbyterian Churches for services together on Wednesdays at noon. These services are always an excellent opportunity to worship and fellowship together in our community.
In everything we have planned this Lent, my greatest hope is that we all will continue to grow in both our lives of prayer and our connections with one another.
Blessings,
Pastor Charlie
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