LENT 2022
St. Andrew’s UMC – Lent 2022
The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 2 with opportunities throughout the day for imposition of ashes, a community wide service (in-person and online) and a fellowship meal.
Ash Wednesday, Wednesday, March 2
View Ash Wed. 7 p.m. Service on YouTube Here
Ash Wednesday Service Bulletin Here.
On Wednesdays, March 9 through April 6, we will gather for a simple meal and time of worship from 5:45 – 6:45 p.m. in the Family Life Center. More information will be shared weekly in the Chatter.
And as we draw closer to Easter, mark your calendars for a Spring Festival on Sunday, April 3 at 4:00 p.m. There will also be services on Holy Thursday, April 14, and Good Friday, April 15, again more information to come via the Chatter, www.standrewsumc.com and our Facebook page.
Our theme for Lent 2022 will be An Examen in the Wesleyan Tradition. On Ash Wednesday, we traditionally offer an invitation to Lenten Discipline. Our relationship to the word discipline is often complicated, as it may bring to mind a negative connotation. But the root of the word discipline is “disciple,” which means one who learns. Lent is traditionally a time to turn our focus inward, and the following daily examen is a prayerful way of reflecting on daily events and moments, to affirm God’s presence and discern or “learn” his direction. We hope you will make it a part of you and your family’s daily devotion. You can use the examen in its entirety, daily, or maybe take a section each day throughout the week. On Sunday mornings throughout Lent we’ll explore each part of the Examen a bit more closely
An Examen in the Wesleyan Tradition – Bishop Ken Carter:
Grace
I begin today by claiming my identity as one who is created in the image of God. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am of sacred worth and am uniquely gifted. When I come to myself—the truth of who I am—I experience blessing. I reflect on those persons who have been a part of my life today, who have seen this in me, who have encouraged me. Have I really been attentive to them? Have I fully accepted their gifts? I stay with these encounters for a moment. I see the faces of these persons and listen to their voices again.
Repentance
Next, I see the moments of my day that I regret. I rely upon the fruit of the Holy Spirit, especially love, peace, and patience, for help in returning to these moments. This is uncomfortable. And yet repentance that is of God is a return to the love God wants for me. It is the journey home. For a moment, I consider the ways I am stuck or lost. Why do I resist change? I ask for the courage to return to God.
Confession
As I reflect on the day, I ask God to reveal the harm that I have done to others and the harm I have done to myself. I make an honest assessment of my failures and mistakes. Where I have not loved my neighbor as myself, I confess that I have sinned. What is the sin that separates me from those closest to me? How does arrogance, judgmentalism, ego or privilege distort the way I see others? How have I buried my birthright gifts and refused to enjoy and share them?
Faith
I ask for the gift of God’s healing and renewing grace. I set aside my own claims of righteousness or merit. In faith, I say yes to Jesus Christ, who loves me and gave himself for me. I place my trust in Jesus Christ alone for the gift of salvation. And for a moment, I consider how I am actually living by faith. Do I find it difficult to trust? I return to the good news that I embraced when I first began to walk with Jesus. I ask that God would empower me to live this day in faith.
Love
God has created me. God knows me. God’s sacrificial love in the crucified Jesus is for my salvation. When I have received the gift of faith, I become a more loving person. And when I have placed my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, I become a part of his body, which is the church. I boldly ask that I will be made perfect in love in this life—that I will love God and love the people I encounter each day in God. I ask that my love for God would grow as I read the scriptures, spend time in prayer and receive communion as often as possible. I ask God to give me a greater love for others, especially those to whom I have made promises and covenants, and those with whom I have differences. I ask God for the happiness is taking the daily risk of living in grace, practicing repentance and confession, and growing in a faith that expresses itself through love. Amen.
And to equip you for the journey, this kit includes:
1)Ashes for Ash Wednesday along with a prayer card to be used at home.
2)Six votive candles along with some burlap ribbon with which a Lenten “wreath” can be created. In Advent, the light increases each Sunday until on Christmas Eve we light the Christ candle as a symbol of welcome and celebration of Emmanuel. During Lent, we will exercise a practice of diminishing light, beginning the first week with the lighting of all six candles and then each Sunday reducing the light until only the Christ candle remains as a reminder of the words of John 1:5, “The light has come into the world and shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.” We invite you as a family to couple the examen with the candle lighting.
3)A Palm Cross to use on Palm Sunday, 3/28.
4)Fellowship Cups to use at home on Easter Sunday.
As we begin our Lenten journey together, may we take to heart these words from Pamela Hawkins that we shared last year. Our journey to Easter is ours and no one else’s. No other person can travel there for us, nor can we for them; and yet we will all end up at the same destination—Easter morning outside the walls of Jerusalem! And because we have adjusted our lives a little or a lot to follow through the ups and downs, the deserts and roads of Lent, we can also count on other truth that will become clear when the dust settles; we all will find ourselves at a different place than where we began. The Awkward Season, Prayers for Lent, Pamela C. Hawkins
Pastor Sherri
St. Andrew’s UMC, CLT
Lent 2022
The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 2 with opportunities throughout the day for imposition of ashes, a community wide service (in-person and online) and a fellowship meal.
Ash Wednesday, Wednesday, March 2
View Ash Wed. 7 p.m. Service on YouTube Here
Ash Wednesday Service Bulletin Here.
- 11:30 – Noon - Drive through imposition of ashes via the portico.
- Noon – 1:00 p.m. - Sanctuary open for prayer and imposition of Ashes
- 5:45 - 6:30 p.m. - Pancake Supper
- 7:00 p.m. - Ash Wednesday Service Onsite and Online via YouTube, Zoom, and Facebook.
On Wednesdays, March 9 through April 6, we will gather for a simple meal and time of worship from 5:45 – 6:45 p.m. in the Family Life Center. More information will be shared weekly in the Chatter.
And as we draw closer to Easter, mark your calendars for a Spring Festival on Sunday, April 3 at 4:00 p.m. There will also be services on Holy Thursday, April 14, and Good Friday, April 15, again more information to come via the Chatter, www.standrewsumc.com and our Facebook page.
Our theme for Lent 2022 will be An Examen in the Wesleyan Tradition. On Ash Wednesday, we traditionally offer an invitation to Lenten Discipline. Our relationship to the word discipline is often complicated, as it may bring to mind a negative connotation. But the root of the word discipline is “disciple,” which means one who learns. Lent is traditionally a time to turn our focus inward, and the following daily examen is a prayerful way of reflecting on daily events and moments, to affirm God’s presence and discern or “learn” his direction. We hope you will make it a part of you and your family’s daily devotion. You can use the examen in its entirety, daily, or maybe take a section each day throughout the week. On Sunday mornings throughout Lent we’ll explore each part of the Examen a bit more closely
An Examen in the Wesleyan Tradition – Bishop Ken Carter:
Grace
I begin today by claiming my identity as one who is created in the image of God. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am of sacred worth and am uniquely gifted. When I come to myself—the truth of who I am—I experience blessing. I reflect on those persons who have been a part of my life today, who have seen this in me, who have encouraged me. Have I really been attentive to them? Have I fully accepted their gifts? I stay with these encounters for a moment. I see the faces of these persons and listen to their voices again.
Repentance
Next, I see the moments of my day that I regret. I rely upon the fruit of the Holy Spirit, especially love, peace, and patience, for help in returning to these moments. This is uncomfortable. And yet repentance that is of God is a return to the love God wants for me. It is the journey home. For a moment, I consider the ways I am stuck or lost. Why do I resist change? I ask for the courage to return to God.
Confession
As I reflect on the day, I ask God to reveal the harm that I have done to others and the harm I have done to myself. I make an honest assessment of my failures and mistakes. Where I have not loved my neighbor as myself, I confess that I have sinned. What is the sin that separates me from those closest to me? How does arrogance, judgmentalism, ego or privilege distort the way I see others? How have I buried my birthright gifts and refused to enjoy and share them?
Faith
I ask for the gift of God’s healing and renewing grace. I set aside my own claims of righteousness or merit. In faith, I say yes to Jesus Christ, who loves me and gave himself for me. I place my trust in Jesus Christ alone for the gift of salvation. And for a moment, I consider how I am actually living by faith. Do I find it difficult to trust? I return to the good news that I embraced when I first began to walk with Jesus. I ask that God would empower me to live this day in faith.
Love
God has created me. God knows me. God’s sacrificial love in the crucified Jesus is for my salvation. When I have received the gift of faith, I become a more loving person. And when I have placed my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, I become a part of his body, which is the church. I boldly ask that I will be made perfect in love in this life—that I will love God and love the people I encounter each day in God. I ask that my love for God would grow as I read the scriptures, spend time in prayer and receive communion as often as possible. I ask God to give me a greater love for others, especially those to whom I have made promises and covenants, and those with whom I have differences. I ask God for the happiness is taking the daily risk of living in grace, practicing repentance and confession, and growing in a faith that expresses itself through love. Amen.
And to equip you for the journey, this kit includes:
1)Ashes for Ash Wednesday along with a prayer card to be used at home.
2)Six votive candles along with some burlap ribbon with which a Lenten “wreath” can be created. In Advent, the light increases each Sunday until on Christmas Eve we light the Christ candle as a symbol of welcome and celebration of Emmanuel. During Lent, we will exercise a practice of diminishing light, beginning the first week with the lighting of all six candles and then each Sunday reducing the light until only the Christ candle remains as a reminder of the words of John 1:5, “The light has come into the world and shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.” We invite you as a family to couple the examen with the candle lighting.
3)A Palm Cross to use on Palm Sunday, 3/28.
4)Fellowship Cups to use at home on Easter Sunday.
As we begin our Lenten journey together, may we take to heart these words from Pamela Hawkins that we shared last year. Our journey to Easter is ours and no one else’s. No other person can travel there for us, nor can we for them; and yet we will all end up at the same destination—Easter morning outside the walls of Jerusalem! And because we have adjusted our lives a little or a lot to follow through the ups and downs, the deserts and roads of Lent, we can also count on other truth that will become clear when the dust settles; we all will find ourselves at a different place than where we began. The Awkward Season, Prayers for Lent, Pamela C. Hawkins
Pastor Sherri
St. Andrew’s UMC, CLT
Lent 2022