Wednesdays in Lent
Use Sunday worship zoom link from the home page
About Lent: What’s your story?
Lent (meaning “Spring”) is a forty day season that was originally about preparing new candidates for baptism at Easter – but as Lutherans emphasize, we’re always beginners when it comes to faith. Think of Lent as a faith refresher course, a time to repent of all that keeps us from the hope we have in the story of Christ.
“Story” is a theme for Lent 2021. One thing that was surprising about Christianity when it first appeared, as New Testament scholar C. Kavin Rowe says, is how it draws us into a hopeful story: that in the beginning we were created in and for love, and that when unthinkable disaster hits – sin, exile, crucifixion – we are raised and given a new future. Check out the graphic Jill Knuth prepared to fit this theme: even as we move from left to right on crooked paths along our journey through the cross, we’re always being drawn by God from the tomb (bottom) to new life and growth (the top).
What stories do people live by? A Grandma shares how she got through the Great Depression, to encourage us in what we face. An online forum draws people into scary conspiracy theories about ‘what’s really going on.’ The stories we live by can keep us anxious, entertain us, make us feel superior, or resentful. In this difficult moment, when we’re so uncertain how and when the pandemic will end, let’s trust in God’s promises and find our place in the story known as “gospel.” New life is always the last word.
What about Lenten Disciplines?
It seems like an odd year to give something up for Lent – “I give up all in-person social engagements and restaurant dining!” What if our fasting is focused on the “attention economy?” As Michael Goldhaber warns (about the internet), our attention is in high demand, and every moment we’re caught up, say, in our twitter feed is a moment we’re not giving attention to something else that may be more worthy of it: the people around us, some fulfilling hobby, or even prayer. Every moment we give to false narratives may be a moment we’re drawn away from the good news of God’s love for ourselves and our world. So how about a Lenten discipline of paying attention to where we’re putting our attention?
Other opportunities for Lent:
- Sunday morning Lenten worship;
- Giving towards FLC ministries and ministry partners;
- Adult Forums exploring the newness of Christianity and its story to the ancient world and ours;
- Happy Hour Books;
- Preparation for Holy Week services: Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday