Lenten Worship 2021
In the Book of Joel, the prophet paints a vivid picture of the coming judgment of God, the Day of the Lord. The imagery is bold and terrifying: hordes of locusts swarming over the land and decimating everything. Joel’s prophecy has teeth even today as wars rage, natural disasters threaten and destroy, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world, and our culture seems to be unraveling. But right in the middle of this frightening portent, we find a tender invitation from the Lord: “Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster” (Joel 2:13).
God’s invitation and promise finds its fullness in Jesus Christ, who personifies and accomplishes all that God declares. During this season of Lent, we will consider the theme “Return to the Lord” and examine how the call to return played out in practical ways for the people who walked alongside Christ as He demonstrated and carried out God’s grace and mercy on our behalf, taking God’s wrath upon Himself, setting the stage for God to “turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him” (Joel 2:14).
This series focuses on a particular event in the Passion, with a special focus on the people involved in the event. Studying the events and people helps to connect us with our own sinful nature, to emphasize how we have turned away from the Lord, and to reinforce and rejoice in God’s call for us to return to Him with all our heart.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17th.
Ash Wednesday (Feb. 17th): “A Call to Return”. Joel's prophecy is dark and terrifying, and the imagery is vivid. It sets the stage for God's invitation and promise: "You have turned away from me in your hearts and minds, and I have now shown you where that path will take you. But it is not too late. Turn back! Return to the Lord! I am gracious and merciful, and I will bless you." This sermon sets the stage for the Lenten path that we will follow together.
Wednesday of Lent 1 (Feb. 24th): "Return to Prayer". This sermon focuses our attention on Peter, James, and John in the Garden of Gethsemane, and explores the topic of prayer. Our prayer life ebbs and flows; we have seasons of abundant prayer and seasons of drought. Throughout all of it, though, Jesus prays consistently. Indeed, “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). When God calls us to pray, He provides the means to do so and even fulfills what we ourselves are unable to do. So also Jesus takes our sins upon Himself and dies on the cross, satisfying the wrath of God and fulfilling what we ourselves are unable to do.
Wednesday of Lent 2 (March 3rd): "Return from Betrayal". Judas appears in the in the Garden of Gethsemane and betrays Jesus into the "hands of lawless men" (Acts 2:23). This sermon explores the theme of betrayal, specifically the ways that we betray one another and Jesus through our denials and rejection of the faith. Wednesday of Lent 3: "Return from False Witness". Judas' betrayal brings Jesus before Caiphas and the Council. In this sermon we examine what God actually means in the Eighth Commandment when He said that you should "not bear false witness against your neighbor?" (Exodus 20:16) and what to do when our failure here leads us away from God. Thankfully, God calls us to turn from our sin, to look to Him, and to find our rest and identity in Him.
Wednesday of Lent 4 (March 10th): "Return from Denial". Peter stands in the courtyard, watching his Lord and master being wrongfully accused, having promised that he was ready to follow Jesus both to prison and to death. But when asked directly, Peter denies Jesus. But Jesus will have the last word. He calls us to return to Him . . . to return from denial.
Wednesday of Lent 5 (March 17th: "Return to the Kingdom of God". Pontius Pilate reigns at his Headquarters and is forced to wrestle with the question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), but the real question is “Who is truth?” In this sermon, a King calls us to return to His rule and reign so that He can pour out blessings on us.
Holy (Maundy) Thursday (April 1st): "Return to the Table". Jesus’ invitation is such that He draws us into a place where we have fellowship with all believers. And yet, our fellowship is stained by sin. Our Lord’s invitation to return is accompanied by His promise to make all things new, when once again we will share the fruit of the vine with Christ Himself.
Good Friday (April 2nd): "Return to Truth". On Good Friday, we remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for each of us. Our focus is on the One who is the way, and the truth, and the light, even as He hangs on the cross, wracked with pain and writhing in agony.
Holy Saturday (April 3rd): "Return to the Church". Our attention on this day is turned to what Christ has accomplished through His death: He has taken your sins—all of them—upon Himself, and has endured your punishment to ensure your salvation. Our salvation has been accomplished, and from a wound in the side of our Lord is born the Church, the very Bride of Christ.
Easter Sunday (April 4th): "Return and See". Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! In this sermon we rejoice that our Lord’s call to return was issued so that we might have life in abundance through the one who lived, died, and rose again to secure our salvation.
Please join us as we "return to the Lord" and meet Him in His temple, where we abound in His steadfast love and mercy.
God’s invitation and promise finds its fullness in Jesus Christ, who personifies and accomplishes all that God declares. During this season of Lent, we will consider the theme “Return to the Lord” and examine how the call to return played out in practical ways for the people who walked alongside Christ as He demonstrated and carried out God’s grace and mercy on our behalf, taking God’s wrath upon Himself, setting the stage for God to “turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him” (Joel 2:14).
This series focuses on a particular event in the Passion, with a special focus on the people involved in the event. Studying the events and people helps to connect us with our own sinful nature, to emphasize how we have turned away from the Lord, and to reinforce and rejoice in God’s call for us to return to Him with all our heart.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17th.
Ash Wednesday (Feb. 17th): “A Call to Return”. Joel's prophecy is dark and terrifying, and the imagery is vivid. It sets the stage for God's invitation and promise: "You have turned away from me in your hearts and minds, and I have now shown you where that path will take you. But it is not too late. Turn back! Return to the Lord! I am gracious and merciful, and I will bless you." This sermon sets the stage for the Lenten path that we will follow together.
Wednesday of Lent 1 (Feb. 24th): "Return to Prayer". This sermon focuses our attention on Peter, James, and John in the Garden of Gethsemane, and explores the topic of prayer. Our prayer life ebbs and flows; we have seasons of abundant prayer and seasons of drought. Throughout all of it, though, Jesus prays consistently. Indeed, “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). When God calls us to pray, He provides the means to do so and even fulfills what we ourselves are unable to do. So also Jesus takes our sins upon Himself and dies on the cross, satisfying the wrath of God and fulfilling what we ourselves are unable to do.
Wednesday of Lent 2 (March 3rd): "Return from Betrayal". Judas appears in the in the Garden of Gethsemane and betrays Jesus into the "hands of lawless men" (Acts 2:23). This sermon explores the theme of betrayal, specifically the ways that we betray one another and Jesus through our denials and rejection of the faith. Wednesday of Lent 3: "Return from False Witness". Judas' betrayal brings Jesus before Caiphas and the Council. In this sermon we examine what God actually means in the Eighth Commandment when He said that you should "not bear false witness against your neighbor?" (Exodus 20:16) and what to do when our failure here leads us away from God. Thankfully, God calls us to turn from our sin, to look to Him, and to find our rest and identity in Him.
Wednesday of Lent 4 (March 10th): "Return from Denial". Peter stands in the courtyard, watching his Lord and master being wrongfully accused, having promised that he was ready to follow Jesus both to prison and to death. But when asked directly, Peter denies Jesus. But Jesus will have the last word. He calls us to return to Him . . . to return from denial.
Wednesday of Lent 5 (March 17th: "Return to the Kingdom of God". Pontius Pilate reigns at his Headquarters and is forced to wrestle with the question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), but the real question is “Who is truth?” In this sermon, a King calls us to return to His rule and reign so that He can pour out blessings on us.
Holy (Maundy) Thursday (April 1st): "Return to the Table". Jesus’ invitation is such that He draws us into a place where we have fellowship with all believers. And yet, our fellowship is stained by sin. Our Lord’s invitation to return is accompanied by His promise to make all things new, when once again we will share the fruit of the vine with Christ Himself.
Good Friday (April 2nd): "Return to Truth". On Good Friday, we remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for each of us. Our focus is on the One who is the way, and the truth, and the light, even as He hangs on the cross, wracked with pain and writhing in agony.
Holy Saturday (April 3rd): "Return to the Church". Our attention on this day is turned to what Christ has accomplished through His death: He has taken your sins—all of them—upon Himself, and has endured your punishment to ensure your salvation. Our salvation has been accomplished, and from a wound in the side of our Lord is born the Church, the very Bride of Christ.
Easter Sunday (April 4th): "Return and See". Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! In this sermon we rejoice that our Lord’s call to return was issued so that we might have life in abundance through the one who lived, died, and rose again to secure our salvation.
Please join us as we "return to the Lord" and meet Him in His temple, where we abound in His steadfast love and mercy.