Download our Lenten Devotional booklet – or using your own Lenten reading or path, take time to go deeper in this holy season. We share the journey together as a community in a number of ways:
1. A parish book-read: Join us in reading The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days, by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie. This beautiful collection of creative blessings inspires hope, even as it acknowledges our real and often messy lives. The Lenten Devotional booklet we are using alongside it has thoughtful, prayerful offerings for every day in Lent. We shared our stories in the Lent 1 Forum, and we’ll be sharing more with each other in the Forum on March 3. (Come whether you’ve read or not!)
2. Sunday forums:
- February 25th: Varieties of Spiritual Practice in Lent: Traditions and Spirit. Rev. Dr. Rebecca Lyman will offer a historical look at the season of Lent. How was Lent observed and understood in the early Church? How have those ancient traditions changed over the centuries? What can we carry forward from the layered history we’ve inherited?
- March 3rd: The Lent We Have: Part 2: a second opportunity to gather together and share our thoughts and reactions to our parish book-read or your own experience this Lenten season.
- March 10th: The Music of Lent. Matthew Burt will guide us into some of the rich musical traditions of this sacred season.
- March 24th: The Mystery of the Cross: Exploring Atonement. Rev. Nick Roosevelt and Debie Thomas will reflect on some of the ways Christians have understood what happened on the cross, and why. What are some of the images, metaphors, and explanations that the New Testament writers and early Church thinkers used as they struggled to comprehend this great mystery? Why is it important for us to engage with these traditions? How might we simultaneously respect the mystery and “unknowing” of the crucifixion, and articulate why the cross matters to us?
3. A Lenten Meditation Class: Join spiritual director and teacher MaryDillard for a mindfulness meditation class. Whether you’re a beginner or a long-time practitioner, you will benefit from experiencing the basics in a clear, easy-to-follow way in this 4-week course. Class sessions will be held from 10am-11:30am on February 17 & 24, and March 2 & 9 in the Kennedy Room. You can register for this free class HERE. And you can come even if you aren’t able to attend all the sessions or missed the first one!4. Opportunities for Children and Families: Throughout the Lenten season, children’s programming will follow along with the Bless the Lent We Actually Have theme and devotional. We’ve sent home a calendar of daily Lenten activities designed specifically for busy families to do at dinner or bedtime. You can also pick up a printed calendar at church or check your emails for a digital copy. Children are invited to participate in our 10am services throughout the season, and post-church children’s program will incorporate discussion, activities, and contemplative practices to build on this Lenten theme.
