I invite you...

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“Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for Easter by observing a season of penitence and fasting...

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.”                                   
(from the United Methodist Book of Worship)

Lent begins this week, on Ash Wednesday.

At our church, we will have a worship service (with repentance and grace, ashes and communion) this Wednesday (March 5th) at 6:30pm in the sanctuary.

I strongly encourage you to observe this season of Lent through some sort of spiritual discipline; maybe fasting from unnecessary comforts (sweets, netflix, alcohol, etc.) and/or taking on a more
committed time of prayer and Bible reading. Our whole church will be reading through the entire Gospel of Mark, so this is a good place to start—you’ll find weekly Scriptures, quotes, and reflections here.
We will also observe short prayer services each Wednesday evening  @6:00pm in the chapel.

Keeping Lent is designed to make more room for the Holy Spirit in your life. Keeping Lent may or may not lead you to feelings of joy, peace, sorrow, happiness, or anger. You may or may not have a profound spiritual experience. You may or may not accidentally fall back on your fast.  Keeping Lent will not make you more holy or beloved in the eyes of God. Keeping Lent will not save you.
...but keep Lent anyway.

It's part of discipleship. After all, we don't follow Christ out of obligation (or in hope of earning
salvation). We follow out of love; because God first loved us and because salvation is based on grace. As Christians and children of God, we follow Christ—even to the foot of the cross—because that's where Jesus is. So let us follow. This season of lent, let us journey to the cross.

Your fellow traveler in Christ,
~Rev. Emily Knight
“Jesus said to them, ‘If any of you want to be my disciple, deny yourself. Take up your cross and follow me.” ~Mark 8:34


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