Looking Ahead to the season of Lent

Lent is a “church-y” word that may be unfamiliar to you. 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). The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. In the lives of most Christians, Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. Believers focus on relationship with God, growing as disciples and extending ourselves, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of ourselves for others.

During Lent 2023 at Clio Bethany UMC & Otisville UMC, our sermon series will be:

Like many of the characters that we will encounter in the scriptures during the season of Lent, we too are seeking: clarity, connection, wonder, justice and balance. We are seeking our calling, the sacred and how to live as a disciple. We are asking big questions about our lives and our faith. We hope this series helps you to unpack these questions in a way that is honest and faithful.

Check in at the gathering area on Sunday mornings as there will be opportunities for you to receive devotional booklets and other materials to help you deepen your faith in this season.

Lent officially begins on Wednesday February 22nd and you are invited to join us for one or both of the Ash Wednesday experiences we will offer.

At the 7am to 8am Ashes & Intentions, there will be prayer stations setup in the lounge with an option to simply receive ashes or pause and pray through the prompts.

Ashes & Intentions will be a different experience than the 1pm or 7pm worship times, should you want to have ashes imposed all day.

At 1pm at Otisville UMC there will be a traditional worship service.

At 7pm at Bethany UMC there will be a traditional worship service.

Here’s a rundown of the scriptures and sermon titles for each Sunday in Lent. Watch for more details about the special worship services during Holy Week. Page through the slideshow. You can see the title for each week and in the caption below you’ll see the scriptures.

This Lent, we invite you to engage in the spiritual practice of seeking. We encourage you to stay curious, open, and nimble. We hope you will soften your assumptions and expand your perspectives. We pray that these questions will create a safe space to explore—to be drawn more deeply into the fullness of life, into the heart of God.

Credit for images and materials: A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org