A Stepping Stone on the Lenten Path
March 25, 2025
Consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly.
Gather the elders
and all the inhabitants of the land
to the house of the Lord your God,
and cry out to the Lord.
~ Joel 1:14
Change in Easter Worship - Six More Weeks of Lent
After deep discernment, several staff meetings, and holy conversations, the church council has unanimously voted that we will not celebrate Easter Sunday on April 20, but instead will continue in solemnity for six more weeks.
This extended lent, or lentension as we're calling it, will include less celebration, fewer flowers, and even more quiet. Each Easter egg in the egg hunt will be empty. If you have family visiting for Easter, tell them to prepare for stillness that Sunday morning.
We're beginning this extended lent today, April 1, which is also known as April Fools' Day.
Surprise! I am kidding!
Lent is important, and quiet is important, yet celebration and joy on Easter will never go out of style. God is joyful! From God calling creation “good,” to talking donkeys, to Jesus making grand examples, our biblical witness holds both quiet and uproar, both seriousness and silliness, both grief and wonder. The elation of resurrection is a pivotal part of it.
God creates delight and new life and resurrection. Even in the season of Lent, we hear stories of celebrations and joyful moments. This season we continue focusing on what to cultivate. Maybe today, on a day of gags, you want to cultivate joy, too.
