Lent 2017

The part of an iceberg we see from above the water is only a small fraction of its total being. The part of the iceberg that is beneath the water provides the foundation and stability; the direction, shape, and movement of what we see from above is defined by what is beneath and below.

So it is with each of us. What we see of each other in any given moment is the expression of everything that has come before; it is our previous – unseen – experiences that define who we are, what we say, and what we do in any given moment.

Each of us has a story, and our story is our song – the living embodiment of our stories.

This Lent we will dive below the water line and explore our stories. Specifically, we will focus on our encounters with Jesus, and how they have shaped what we believe, and what the rest of the world sees when we speak and act.

We will take this journey with some folks who we know best through their encounters with Jesus. We will plunge beneath the surface of their experiences and speculate about their stories. Each Sunday we will hear a story about a different person’s encounter with Jesus. The stories will be presented in imaginative and creative ways that will invite us to ponder where the people we meet have come from.

We will get in Satan’s skin as he tempts Jesus in the wilderness. We’ll walk with a blind man – and rise with a dead man. We’ll go behind and before a courageous woman’s communion with Jesus at a well. We’ll marvel at the nighttime skepticism of a religious leader who ultimately comes to faith. On Palm Sunday we’ll grab the mane and ride with a donkey who delivers Jesus. And on Resurrection morning we’ll share fear and faith with Mary and Mary; marveling at their courage and sharing in their joy.

Through these stories we will encounter our own.

From Ashes to Tomb: Our Shared Story

Wednesday, March 1: The Story Begins
Ash Wednesday Service, 6:00pm in the Church School Hall (Psalm 51:1-17)

Sunday, March 5: 1st Lent – Satan’s Story (Matthew 4:1-11)

Sunday, March 12: 2nd Lent – Nicodemus’s Story (John 3:1-17)

Sunday. March 19: 3rd Lent – A Samaritan Woman’s Story (John 4:5-42)

Sunday, March 26: 4th Lent – A Blind Man’s Story (John 9:1-41)

Sunday, April 2: 5th Lent – Lazarus’s Story (John 11:1-45)

Lenten Soup Suppers will take place each Wednesday (March 8, 15, 22, 29 & April 5) from 5:30pm – 7:00pm. Each week we will continue the conversation about the Biblical character whose story we had heard the previous Sunday.

Sunday April 9: Passion/Palm Sunday – A Colt and a Donkey’s Story (Matthew 21:1-11)

Thursday, April 13: The Story of the Supper
Maundy Thursday Service, 7:00pm in the Church School Hall (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Friday, April 14: The Story of the Sacrifice
Good Friday Service, 7:00pm in the Sanctuary

Sunday, April 16: The Resurrection Story
7:00am Sunrise Service in Brandywine Park, followed by breakfast at the church
11:00am – Mary and Mary’s Stories (Matthew 28:1-10)