Below is information for upcoming services and a special sermon series offered by Pastor Croom during Lent and Easter.
Lent, Holy Week, and Easter
Lent is a time of self-reflection and repentance. The word “Lent” comes from the old English word lencten. This season begins with Ash Wednesday, and runs for 40 days, until Easter. The tradition of placing ashes on the forehead on Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a season of solemnity and reflection on Christ’s suffering for our sins.
Holy Week occurs the week prior to Easter, starting with Palm Sunday and ending with Good Friday.
Colors of Lent and Easter: The colors for Lent are purple, to remind us of our need for repentance. For Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, black reminds us of our sorrow at our Savior’s suffering. On Easter, the colors are white, the color of purity, holiness, glory, and joy for our Savior’s resurrection and triumph on the cross. Citation
WITNESSES TO CHRIST: PEOPLE FROM HIS PASSION
ASH WEDNESDAY
WEDNESDY, MARCH 9, 2002
12:00 – 1:00 pm Imposition of Ashes
7:00 pm Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion
As we begin our Lenten journey, we focus our attention upon various witnesses to Christ in John’s Gospel. We begin with John the Baptist, a man on a mission. “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as to witness concerning that light, so that through him all people might believe” (John 1:6–7). John the Baptist’s mission is “to witness concerning that light.” In fact, fourteen times in John’s Gospel, the word witness is connected with John the Baptist. “He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every person was coming into the world” (John 1:8–9). John points us to Jesus, who takes away our sin, our guilt, and our shame at the cross.
MID-WEEK LENTEN SERVICES AND DINNERS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 – First Midweek of Lent
Lenten Dinner, 6:00 pm
Service, 7:00 pm
Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, was a witness to Christ as recorded in John’s Gospel. As Jesus and many others are gathered for dinner, Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with an ointment that was worth a year’s wages. What a generous act! Mary’s generosity is contrasted with Judas’ greed. Judas criticizes Mary’s generosity toward Jesus, saying that the ointment could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. But John notes something important: Judas did not say this because He cared about the poor. Judas kept the moneybag for the disciples and had been continually stealing from it. While Mary is generous toward Jesus, Judas seeks his own advantage. We remember Mary’s generosity and love, which point us to Jesus.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 – Second Midweek of Lent
Lenten Dinner, 6:00 pm
Service, 7:00 pm
All four gospels record the event in Gethsemane when the high priest’s servant’s ear is cut off. Only John gives us names—Peter and Malchus. Our attention now is drawn to Gethsemane that night Judas betrays Jesus as Peter cuts off the ear of Malchus. The chief priests, scribes, Judas, and Peter all seek power and control of the situation. Jesus—the only one with true power and authority—lays it down, as He also does with His life itself. In His resurrection, Jesus will take up His life again, reclaiming His power, control, and authority that extends throughout the earth and heavens.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23 – Third Midweek of Lent
Lenten Dinner, 6:00 pm
Service, 7:00 pm
Simon Peter witnessed much of Christ’s ministry on earth. He is featured in many highlights of the four Gospels, but today we see Peter at his lowest point, as he denies Jesus three times. The result of Peter’s denial is a massive amount of guilt. Each of us can relate to that unwanted flood of self-disgust that comes when we remember past sin. But guilt is not the final word for Peter, and it is not the final word for us. After His resurrection, Jesus restores and forgives Peter. Jesus offered Peter grace. Jesus also gives us grace, forgiveness, and restoration at the cross.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 – Fourth Midweek of Lent
Lenten Dinner, 6:00 pm
Service, 7:00 pm
Barabbas was a heartless, brutal criminal, with anger in his heart and blood on his hands. Custom dictated that Pontius Pilate should release one prisoner at the feast of Passover. Pilate knows Jesus is innocent and tries to get the crowd to ask for Jesus’ release, but the crowd calls for Barabbas. The crowd condemns the innocent Jesus and demands that the guilty Barabbas receive a pardon. We are Barabbas. We are guilty and sinful and deserving of death. But we are also Barabbas in that Jesus takes our place, takes our punishment, and sets us free.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 – Fifth Midweek of Lent
Lenten Dinner, 6:00 pm
Service, 7:00 pm
Pontius Pilate was a witness to Christ who consented to order Jesus’ execution. Pilate may wash his hands and proclaim his own innocence in the death of Jesus, but Pilate is guilty. Pilate is caught between a rock and a hard place. Instead of doing what is right, Pilate has Jesus’ flesh ripped, shredded, torn, dressed in purple, and crowned with thorns. His hard heart is complicit in the death of Christ. While it may be an uncomfortable thought, Pilate’s failures make us examine our own complicity in the evil of others. How have we deceived ourselves in proclaiming innocence? How have we been pressured into allowing evil to occur? Thanks be to God that our journey to the cross shows us Jesus’ forgiveness.
HOLY WEEK SERVICES
SUNDAY, APRIL 10 at 10:30 am
Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion
THURSDAY, APRIL 14 at 7:00 pm
Holy/Maundy Thursday
Betrayed by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver. Betrayed by Judas with a kiss—image that, a kiss! Betrayed by Judas in a garden east of Jerusalem called Gethsemane. Betrayed! Jesus was betrayed for us. After betraying Jesus, Judas plunges into the depths of despair. He does not return to Jesus to seek forgiveness. But this Thursday, the night Jesus is betrayed, reminds us of the forgiveness, life, and salvation that Jesus provides for us in the Lord’s Supper. May we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we journey ever closer to the cross.
FRIDAY, APRIL 15 at 7:00 pm
Good Friday
Our journey to follow Christ through witnesses to Christ here arrives at the cross. Tonight, we view Christ on the cross through the author’s eyes—John, the Apostle and Evangelist, the beloved disciple, the son of Zebedee and the brother of James. By John’s witness, we view Jesus beaten and bloodied. We hear His words of forgiveness and fulfillment. We see Jesus shed His blood for the life of the world. As we sing and pray and sit in silence this evening, we ponder Christ’s love for us. We marvel at the gifts of forgiveness and salvation He has given us, for we have been clothed by the blood of Christ.
SUNDAY, APRIL 17 at 10:30 am
Easter Sunday/The Resurrection of Our Lord
We have followed Jesus to the cross, the tomb, and now we follow Jesus out of the tomb as He rises from the dead and appears to another witness to Christ: Mary Magdalene. Jesus’ Easter morning resurrection appearance to Mary Magdalene might be a bit unexpected. After all, Mary had endured a terrible past. Jesus had cast seven demons out of Mary in the early part of His ministry. But Mary is chosen to be this eyewitness, and she exclaims to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” Mary is the first to see Jesus’ resurrected glory and proclaim this good news that we speak again and again today, “Alleluia! Christ is risen!”
Special Sermon Series for Lenten and Easter Services
