LENT
Lent is the church’s season of penitence, fasting, and prayer in preparation for the great feast of the resurrection, Easter Day. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, we walk with Jesus from his temptation in the wilderness all the way up to his triumphal procession into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Lent offers us the space to examine our hearts, seek the Lord’s forgiveness and healing, and set our hope more fully on the risen Lord.
Continue reading below to find out how you can join us in walking the Lenten path this year!
RESOURCES
Lent Explained
Need a crash course on the season of Lent? Check out this brief video from our series “The Christian Year Explained.”
All Souls Lenten Guide
We have created a Lenten Guide for the members of our community. In it, you’ll find an overview of Lent and its practices, meditations on the Ten Commandments, and a curated set of prayers from our prayerbook. Pick yours up at church on Sunday, or click below to download the digital booklet.
Lenten Reading: The Screwtape Letters
Throughout the season of Lent, we’ll be reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis as a church. We’ll be sending out study guides written by Fr. Josh each weekday, and we’ll discuss the readings during our Lenten soup dinners at 6:30pm on Wednesdays.
Sign up for our newsletter or follow us on social media to get our Screwtape study guides in your inbox! You can also find an archive of our Lenten devotionals here.
SCHEDULE
Rector’s Forum | March 2, 9:30am
Join Fr. Josh for an explanation of the season of Lent in the hour before Holy Communion! A children’s Sunday School hour (K-5th grade) and nursery (ages 0-5) will also be provided for families. For those children joining Sunday School, meet at the kids book table in the back of the church.
Shrove Tuesday | March 4, 6:30pm
Just before a season of fasting, we get to enjoy one more big feast as a family. On Shrove Tuesday, we’ll have our first annual pancake race and an alleluia hymn sing to wrap up Epiphany and prepare for Lent. If you haven’t already, please let us know you’re coming by filling out the form linked in our newsletter.
Ash Wednesday | March 5, 6:30pm
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Join us on the evening of March 5 for a brief and beautiful service featuring a Lenten meditation and the imposition of ashes.
Lenten Soup Dinners | Wednesdays at 6:30pm
Throughout the season of Lent, we’ll be gathering each Wednesday for potluck soup dinners, discussion of The Screwtape Letters, and prayer. Here’s what you’ll want to bring:
Enough soup and bread for your family, plus some to share
A crockpot or some other container to keep your soup warm
A ladle to serve your soup
Holy Communion | Sundays at 10:30am
Like pit stops along the Lenten journey, the Sundays of Lent are times to rest and be nourished by the Word and Sacrament. These services will feature seasonal adjustments to the liturgy and classic Lenten hymns.
LENTEN DONATION DRIVE
In addition to prayer and fasting, the season of Lent offers us an opportunity to give more to our neighbors in tangible ways. While fasting is saying "no" to ourselves, and prayer is saying "yes" to God, giving alms is saying "yes" to our neighbor in love.
Over the past month, we have been in contact with Lutheran Services of the Carolinas to learn more about the work they do with refugees living in the midlands. LSC provides crucial services for families starting a new life in the US, and they are always in need of support. In recent months, much of their federal funding has been frozen, and they are now looking to churches to help step in and fill the gap.
In place of our normal Lenten food drive, we are asking that those who would like to give during Lent consider a financial gift to LSC. Anything you are able to give will be a help.
If you are interested in learning more specifics about Lutheran Services and the current situation, please see the letter below from Sarah Lewis with more details.
