Journey Back: A Lenten Worship Series
March 6 – April 14, 2019
Written by Tim Johnson, Seasons of the Spirit
Lent is a season of unfolding honesty and truth-telling about our lives and our world. It begins with Ash Wednesday and the humble recognition that we are all human beings with finite lives. This is a leveling confession because no one is exempt from the dust from which we are formed or the ashes to which we return. We are all equal in those ashes, from those with the greatest wealth and power to those who have little or nothing at all. There is no hierarchy of value or importance in Ash Wednesday or the journey of Lent that follows. In boldly acknowledging our humanity while embracing God’s love as our destiny, we become immune to the virus of fear on which systems of domination continue to depend in order to maintain power and control.
We live in a time when truth is questioned, yet the need for the truth-telling of Lent remains greater than ever. Social media and those who would exploit this modern technology make it possible to formulate a “truth” that conforms to self-interest and is often at the service of domination systems. The melting glaciers of climate change, for example, are justified in an imperial “truth” unwilling to relinquish power and control. Lent gives us a lens for finding truth in the headlines and our daily lives. It draws us into a narrative of God’s people living with and resisting exploitative systems of domination; that narrative illuminates the times in which we live.
The journey of Lent begins by engaging us with the theological and interpretive question: Which God of scripture will we follow? Will we journey within a religious tradition that sees God as part and parcel of a domination system or will we journey within a religious tradition that embraces a liberating God of creation, known in and through relationship? Wes Howard Brook, in his book Come Out My People, notes that both religious traditions are in scripture. How we answer this question will determine the truth we discover as we journey through Lent.
Weekly Worship Experiences
- Ash Wednesday (March 6, 7:00 pm) – We begin our journey back by confessing our brokenness and reflecting on God’s grace and forgiveness. This is a special combined service with our congregation, First Congregational Church, and Evangelical United Church of Christ. Service begins at 7:00 pm at EvUCC.
- A Place of Justice and Grace (March 10, 10:15 am) – We begin our Lenten journey remembering the challenges of the Israelites as they journeyed away from slavery, through the desert, and toward a new beginning. (Deuteronomy 26:1-11)
- Journey toward Trust (March 17, 10:15 am) – As we continue this Lenten journey, we find ourselves with Abram and Sarai looking to the star-filled sky and receiving a promise from God. (Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18)
- Fed by the Glory (March 24, 10:15 am) – We hear the prophet speak to a people living in exile, and in God’s invitation to listen, come, see, seek, forsake, and return, we encounter a God who holds us in kindness. (Isaiah 55:1-9)
- A Traitor for Grace (March 31, 10:15 am) – In a story about a prodigal (wasteful) father and two sons, we are reminded of the never-ending potential for new beginnings and fresh starts. (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32)
- The Fragrance of Life (April 7, 10:15 am) – In a prophetic act, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus anoints Jesus’ feet and fills the house with the fragrance of life. (John 12:1-8)
- Palms to Passion (April 14, 10:15 am) – We follow Jesus into Jerusalem and hear cries of anguish, trust, thanks, and hope; Holy Week invites us into the fullness of life’s experiences. (Luke 19:28-40)
