I have heard it said: “Lent is coming—get ready for six weeks of dreary music and feeling sad!” That’s the cultural attitude and perhaps the church does move in that direction as we lift up images of ashes, crosses, and purple paraments and as we eliminate flowers, praises and alleluias. But life does ebb and flow and many of us cherish these 40 days of contemplation upon our own unworthiness and the cost of Jesus’ saving grace.

Spiritual disciplines and long-practiced traditions are gifts that bring benefits to those open to experiencing and learning from them. Prayer is such a discipline and one of the greatest gifts of prayer that Jesus has given to us is THE LORD’S PRAYER. It is a prayer we are all familiar with (perhaps too familiar) that contains but 62 words. There is a lot of meaning packed into these ancient but ever new words that Jesus taught his followers to pray.  Martin Luther’s Small Catechism helps open up each petition for deeper understanding about who God is and what we are praying for.  I invite you on a LENTEN JOURNEY with THE PRAYER HE TAUGHT. May it be an adventure that leads us to Easter and beyond in the grace of God.

ASH WEDNESDAY—FEBRUARY 17TH

12:00 noon—Imposition of Ashes/Holy Communion

6:45 p.m.—Imposition of Ashes/Holy Communion

5:30—6:30 pm.—Lenten supper in Luther Hall

Mid-week Lenten worship with Holy Communion each Wednesday in Lent

Noon—Meditations on the Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer/Holy Communion

6:45 p.m.—Holden Evening Prayer/Lenten Dramas on Lord’s Prayer/Holy Communion

5:30-6:30 p.m.– Lenten supper in Luther Hall