Ash Wednesday Worship
and Lent: March 5th, 7:00 PM, ARC
Christians around the world will gather in a place of worship
tomorrow, Wednesday March 5th, to be marked by a cross made out of
ashes. This ancient tradition practiced
on the first day of Lent is a symbol of beginning a forty day season of confession
and repentance. After 1517 and the
Protestant Reformation, many mainline denominations abandoned the practice of
the being marked by the ashen cross because they wanted to distance themselves
from their Roman Catholic heritage and the “showiness” of wearing a cross on the forehead. In the past 30 years, Evangelicals have returned to their roots, again embracing repentance and the imagery of being outwardly marked by a cross made of ashes.
Please join us tomorrow in the ARC to as we begin one of the
most holy seasons of the Christian year.
This 30 minute powerful, prayer focused worship time will prepare you
for the journey to Easter and the joy of the Resurrection. I will be looking for you!
Journaling: Spiritual Discipline
We are going to learn and practice the discipline of
journaling during this Lenten season.
Bring $3 on Ash Wednesday or weekend worship and pick up your Lenten
journal. We only ordered 600 so do not procrastinate! We will explain and get you started on using
your journal in weekend worship.
New Message Series
and Small Group Launch: March
8-9 “Love, God” Study of I John
“What’s love got to do with it?” Everything!
You name it, marriage, parenting, friends, hobbies, work, politics,
money, love impacts every area of your
life. How many times a day do you use
the word “love?” ……. I love my wife. I
love my husband. I want somebody to love. I love going to bed. I love my new outfit. I love chipotle. I love baseball.
I love chips and gummy worms. I love it
when Spring Break and time change weekend happen on the same weekend. (That
last one was sarcasm J
)
What’s love got to do with it? Everything. Beginning this weekend, we will begin a six
week of study of I John and the over used, water downed, but desperately sought
after word called “love.” In worship, we will dig deep into the scripture. In
our small groups, we will grow together in our understanding and practice of
love in every area of our lives.
Women and Men, young and old, long to love and be loved. And yet, nothing is more complicated. Truth is, most of us mess love up because we
are not very good at it and some of us do not even know what love is.
Invite a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker and let’s relearn
how to receive and give love. Most of all, invite someone who does not believe
in God or who has been turned off the church or who simply needs to be loved by
someone who will never betray or hurt them.
“Love, God”
I am praying for you. Please pray for me.
Rick
