Before there’s Holy Week and Easter, there’s Lent.  The word Lent means “Spring.”  It’s whole season, 40 days:  time that’s given to us to seek renewal personally and in our relationships.   Many people give something up for Lent.  Besides fasting, other common practices include showing compassion to people in need, and returning to God in prayer or even finding new ways to pray.  

A theme for Lent in 2016 is “Grace in our context.”  Here’s more information on Sunday forums about grace.  Also, we’re providing the grace of free childcare for date night.

Ash Wednesday

February 10th, is a brief worship service where you could say we ‘get real’ with God about the brokenness in our lives and world, praying for change.  Participants can receive the imposition of ashes in the shape of a cross on their foreheads, as a reminder of our mortality and an anticipation of Holy Week.  Two worship service options: Noon and 7pm (with choir).

Thursday Soup Suppers

A venerable and tasty tradition of coming together with friends for fellowship, food and devotions.  Dinner is free and anyone can attend!  If you like, drop a donation in a basket.
6pmSoup is served, but come when you can!
6:45pm or so – for those who would like to stay around, we’ll have a brief devotion leading into prayer and song.
Soup supper theme: God’s grace in this year’s psalms for Lent
Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer called the book of Psalms “The Prayerbook of the Bible.”  The psalms give us images and words for prayer that truthfully express our human situation and draw us to a God who knows us better than we know ourselves.  At the end of each soup supper, we’ll look at an image of grace from a psalm we heard at worship the previous Sunday, and conclude with a short devotion.
We’ll also have a craft project related to that psalm for children to work on.
February 18: Psalm 91 – God guards us
February 25, Psalm 27 – Light and courage
March 3, Psalm 63 – Steadfast love
March 10, Psalm 32 – Forgiveness and teaching
March 17, Psalm 126 – From tears to joy