Lent is a six-week liturgical season in the life of the church. Week 1 is on February 26th and concludes with Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday (April 2). Lent is a season of preparation for the celebration of Easter.
This year we will be drawing from a worship resource called “A Sanctified Art”. This resource includes images, art work, devotional booklets and cards, and Sunday morning scripture readings and prayers.
The theme this year is simply “wilderness.” The theme comes directly from the 4th chapters of the gospels of Matthew and Luke, which describe Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. During that time, Jesus wandered, fasted and resisted temptation. We know that Jesus journey through the wilderness equipped and prepared him. Wilderness provided a test, a spirit quest, that clarified his life mission to reveal the unconditional love of God.
Similarly, through the wilderness of Lent, we are invited to surrender to the wild leadings of the Spirit. We rarely enter the wilderness willingly, but hopefully through our wandering we remember who we are and whose we are. The wilderness can become sacred even if it remains dangerous. There is no wilderness space too harsh or threatening for God’s love. This Lent, we welcome you to the journey.
On the first Sunday of Lent we discover that much of who we are is shaped by the wilderness. Made in the image of God, Adam and Eve discover how easy it is to get stuck in human brokenness. Jesus finds his sense of call in the wilderness, as his ministry becomes defined by what he resists: hunger (feeding the hungry) and power (finding power in servanthood).
Bethel UCC is one of the most vibrant, anti-racist and friendly churches in the Beaverton/Portland Oregon Area, an inclusive Christian congregation, welcoming and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, affirming their full participation in the life of the church. Join us in worship 10:00 AM Pacific Time Sundays In person at 5150 SW Watson Ave, Beaverton, OR 97005, on Facebook Live: Https://www.facebook.com/BethelBeaverton or Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/140844207/