Lent - First Congregational United Church of Christ

What is Lent?

Lent is a Christian season of self-examination lasting the 6 weeks leading up to Easter. The season moves on the calendar from year to year based on the spring equinox, celebrating the increasingly longer days of the year. As a reminder for Christians to look to God rather than physical things for their wholeness, some take on the practice of giving something up for Lent. Whenever they desire this thing that they have given up, they are reminded to pray for God to sustain them. Items commonly given up are certain foods or forms of entertainment. It has also become popular to not only give something up but to add a practice during Lent, like going to church regularly or adding a daily prayer time.

This Lent, we will....

Who are we?

We're located at the corner of Juliette and Poyntz...right where we've been since a group of abolitionists founded our church in the 1850s. We are a group of open-minded, big-hearted Christ-followers who are committed to working for justice and loving all, just as Jesus has taught us to do.

If you have questions about our congregation or the events happening this season, please feel free to contact us.

INFORMATION ABOUT HOLY WEEK AND EASTER

Ash Wednesday
February 14

Ash Wednesday is a Christian tradition that prepares us for the Lenten season before Easter. The reasons Christians receive ashes on the forehead are twofold: 1. As a call to grieve and repent from the ways they have become separated from God and Neighbor and 2. As a humble reminder of the dust from which we came and the dust to which we’ll return. To remind us of our life season’s cyclical nature, we use the palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday to create the ashes. You may receive ashes as a part of our worship service at 7:00 p.m. or, if you are unable to make it to worship, you can receive Ashes to Go from area clergy throughout the day at various locations. | details on Ashes to Go

Midweek Book Study

The subject of this first, seven-week study will be Amy-Jill Levine’s book, The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus. Levine notes that most Christians have difficulty remembering that Jesus was an observant Jew and that his message was deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and life in first century Palestine. Put another way, Jesus was not a Christian. Her point: understanding the Jewish roots of what became the Christian faith is a necessary corrective to centuries of Christian misunderstanding, and persecution, of Judaism. | learn more

Second Helping
Host Training

As we prepare to celebrate 20 years of Second Helping later this year, the Board of Mission would like to invite those are interested in becoming Church Hosts at Second Helping to attend a training session. The Church Host is present for the meal each week, welcoming our guests, answering questions, and ensuring that the atmosphere remains warm and home-y.

There will be a training session on Sunday, Feb. 25 from 12:30-2:00pm. A simple lunch will be provided and we are thankful that Kevin Tilley, who is the director of security at Via Christi Hospital and a regular attender at our services, will help provide part of the training. You can expect to learn helpful tips for making Second Helping run smoothly. | learn more