The Journey to the Cross and Beyond
The Season of Lent
Lent is one of the most sacred seasons in the Christian year, a forty-day journey of reflection, repentance, and renewal that prepares our hearts for the celebration of Easter. The forty days mirror Jesus' time of fasting and temptation in the wilderness, and they invite us into a deeper, more intentional walk with God.
Ash Wednesday Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, a solemn and powerful day of worship. In United Methodist tradition, worshippers are invited to receive the imposition of ashes -- a cross marked on the forehead with the ancient words, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." It is a humbling reminder of our mortality and our need for God's grace. Ash Wednesday sets the tone for the entire season: honest, reflective, and grace-filled.
The Sundays of Lent Lent spans six Sundays, each one drawing us deeper into Scripture and self-examination. In United Methodist worship, Sundays in Lent are not counted among the forty days -- they are considered "little Easters," small celebrations of resurrection even within the season of penitence. The lectionary texts during this season often focus on themes of covenant, repentance, living water, light in the darkness, and new life. Our congregation uses this season for special study and spiritual disciplines such as fasting, prayer, and acts of service.
Holy Week
Beginning on Palm Sunday, easch day of the week is marked with reflection as we remember the last week of Jesus' life and the journey of the disciples. We walk with them in our souls as we remember. Throughout Holy Week the Labyrinth on the southeast side of the church is available to walk. You can access it from the South breezeway across the grassy area to the parking lot in the back. Begin walking it slowly and praying as you go. Or you could stop by the Healing Garden and Columbarium to sit and reflect on the story of Holy Week.
Palm Sunday The final Sunday of Lent is Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week. We celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, often with the processional waving of palm branches and the joyful cry of "Hosanna!" But United Methodist worship holds the tension of this day honestly -- many congregations observe what is called Passion Sunday, moving from the jubilation of the palms to the reading of the Passion narrative. The shift is intentional: we do not skip from celebration to Easter without walking through the suffering. The same crowd that waved palms would soon cry "Crucify him." We are invited to see ourselves in that crowd.
Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday commemorates the night of the Last Supper, when Jesus gathered with his disciples, washed their feet, and instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion. The word "maundy" comes from the Latin mandatum -- commandment -- recalling Jesus' words: "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you." We observe this evening with a simple, intimate service that may include the sharing of Communion and the stripping of the altar -- the removal of all paraments, candles, and decorations -- leaving the sanctuary bare and stark as a sign of mourning. Worshippers are frequently dismissed in silence.
Good Friday Good Friday is the most somber day of the Christian year. United Methodists are invited into a service of Tenebrae -- meaning "darkness" -- or a simple service of scripture, prayer, and reflection at the cross. We remember the crucifixion of Jesus: his suffering, his death, and the profound love that held him there. It is called Good Friday not because suffering is good, but because out of that suffering came the greatest gift the world has ever known. The day ends in grief, and in waiting.
Easter Sunday
And then -- the waiting ends. Easter Sunday is the crown of the entire Christian year, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. United Methodists greet one another with the ancient declaration: "Christ is risen!" -- and respond with "Christ is risen indeed!" Worship is filled with light, flowers, music, and great joy. The altar that was stripped bare on Thursday is now full. The Alleluias that were set aside at the beginning of Lent ring out again. Easter is not simply a single Sunday -- it is the beginning of a fifty-day season of resurrection celebration that carries us all the way to Pentecost. The United Methodist tradition understands Easter as the lens through which all of life is interpreted: death does not have the final word. Grace does.
Lent is not a season of gloom -- it is a season of honesty and hope. We walk toward the cross not because we are without joy, but because we know what is waiting on the other side.
