Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for lencten, which means “spring.” The season is a preparation for celebrating Easter. Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time of penance by all Christians.
Lent begins on February 17. Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of the historic practice of imposing ashes at the beginning of Lent. The use of ashes as a sign of mortality and repentance has a long history in Jewish and Christian worship. The Imposition of Ashes can be a powerful nonverbal and experiential way of participating in the call to repentance and reconciliation.
During the day on Ash Wednesday, we will offer two opportunities for you to participate in the tradition of Imposition of Ashes, from 7-8am and from noon-1pm in the Sanctuary. A pastor will be available to impose ashes in this come-and-go setting in the sanctuary. In the evening, we will have a service of Imposition of Ashes at 6pm in the Sanctuary.
This year, our Lenten theme is 24 Hours that Changed the World. We will look closely at the last day in the life of Jesus Christ. We will begin with The Last Supper. We will see Him praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. We will see The Mock of the Trial, His Time Before Pilate and The Torture He chose to endure. And then we will look at The Nails that held Him to the cross.
A devotional book is being written by our staff members this year. It will be available for you on Sunday, February 14, right on time for the beginning of Lent.
During Lent, we have special programs set up for The Gathering and The Wave Worship on Wednesday nights. The Gathering will include a Soup Supper provided by Stacey’s Creative Cuisine each week during Lent. The Wave Worship will have special speakers and programs each Wednesday night at 6pm.
The Lenten schedule for The Wave worship is:
February 17 – Ash Wednesday – Imposition of Ashes
February 24 – No worship service this evening.
March 3 – Bishop J. Woodrow Hearn, Bishop-in-Residence
March 10 – Rev. Ray Pinard, Director of Pastoral Care, Edgewater Retirement Center
March 17 – Rev. Drew Weber, Associate Pastor, Moody Methodist Church
March 24 –Rev. Bert Bagley, Senior Pastor, Moody Methodist Church
March 31 – Walk the Labyrinth
Our Holy Week schedule is:
Maundy Thursday – April 1 – Evening worship service (with optional foot washing) at 7pm in the Christian Life Center
Good Friday – April 2 – Tenebrae worship service – a service of darkness at 7pm in the Sanctuary
Easter Sunday Morning Schedule
7:00am Worship on the beach at the 1900 Storm Memorial Statue in the 4900 block of Seawall Blvd.
8:30am Informal worship in the Sanctuary
9:45am Sunday school for all ages - Easter Egg Hunt for children
11:00am Celebration worship in the Christian Life Center
11:00am Spanish worship in Fellowship Hall
11:00am Traditional worship in the Sanctuary
Join with us this year as we look at the 24 Hours that Changed the World.
