| LENT
2010: Steeped in the Sacred |
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The grace and peace of the One
who is the light to our world be with you as we enter into the Lenten
Season.
Beginning on February 17th and continuing for forty days we at
First Congregational UCC will travel together finding ways to immerse
ourselves in God's presence and discover new connections with God. All
are welcome to join us in our travels together.
This page provides a one stop resource for information concerning
all the study groups, special events, worship services and opportunities
for you to steep yourself in the sacred this Lent. Please take advantage
of all the experiences that cause your soul to leap in response and even
stretch yourself to a new experience.
Lent this year will be guided by the insights from the book An
Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor. This book will help
guide our worship, Wednesday morning Bible
Study group, and our Wednesday night
events. If you wish to purchase this book to participate in the
Bible Study on Wednesday morning, or for your own personal devotions, it
can be ordered through the church office (orders due by February 1st)
or through
Amazon.com . |
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WORSHIP SCHEDULE |
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Ash Wednesday Services
February 17th |
| We will gather with our brothers and sisters in faith
to begin our Lenten journey. Pastor Wes will preach and there will be
two identical services to choose from. One will be held at 12:15 p.m at
First Presbyterian (17 N. Jackson St.). The other will be held at 6:30
p.m. at Faith Lutheran (2116 Mineral Point Ave.). Ashes will be
available for those who wish. Pastor Wes will draw on our Lenten book by
Barbara Brown Taylor to guide our worship experience. |
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First Sunday in Lent
February 21st |
| Focus Scripture:
Luke 4:1-13 |
| Focus Theme:
The Practice of Saying No |
| Is there any harder word in our language than "no"?
Before Jesus began his ministry he needed to distinguish what he was
going to be about and what he was not. Perhaps we can follow the same
wisdom. Communion will be celebrated during worship. |
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Second Sunday in Lent
February 28th |
| Focus Scripture:
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 |
| Focus Theme:
The Practice of Pronouncing Blessings |
| At the end of every service the minister is the one
to raise one or two hands and offer a benediction or blessing. What if
offering blessings was something each of us was called to do? How can we
offer blessings to those who brush up against our life each and every
day? |
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Third Sunday in Lent
March 7th |
| Focus Scripture:
Exodus 16 (selected verses) |
| Focus Theme:
The Practice of Being on the Earth |
| Chances are good that the ground will still be
frozen, but maybe by this Sunday there will be a few faint signs of
spring peeping out bravely here or there. What can the seasons and
creation teach us about our faith that can lead us toward a deeper
understanding of the One whose fingerprints are found on the earth all
around us? |
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Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 14th |
| Focus Scripture:
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 |
| Focus Theme:
The Practice of Getting Lost |
| Being lost is scary and we go to great lengths to
avoid just that. Armed with GPS, maps, voices in our dashboards, we
navigate our way through unfamiliar terrain all the time. However, the
journey of faith is rarely so easily traversed. So how do we get our
bearings straight? It might start with first getting lost. |
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Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 21st |
| Focus Scripture:
Isaiah 43:16-21 |
| Focus Theme:
The Practice of Waking Up to God |
| How often do we go through the motions, get caught up
in the rhythm and routine of life, almost for the sake of being in a
comfortable place where we feel in control. If God breaks in, bursts in,
disrupts our tidy plans, what are we to make of that? |
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Palm Sunday
March 28th |
| Focus Scripture:
Luke 19:28-40 |
| Focus Theme:
The Practice of Feeling Pain |
| So many of us try to avoid pain and when we go
through difficult moments we find ourselves grasping for something,
anything that will help numb the dis-ease we feel. Holy week invites us
to feel pain, not as a path toward martyrdom, but as an acknowledgment
that brokenness can be part of life. |
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Maundy Thursday Service
April 1st |
| Holy week continues as we gather in our upper room,
the Parlor, for this sacred service. Our worship will weave moments of
silence, singing, and communion together. We encourage you to make
attending our Maundy Thursday service a priority for your Lenten
journey. We will begin at 7:00 p.m. and all ages are welcome to attend.
Our theme will be holy meals shared together. |
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Good Friday Services
April 2nd |
| As with the beginning of our Lenten journey, we will
again worship with our brothers and sisters in faith. There will be two
identical worship services with all clergy participating in the sermon.
Please try to attend. The first service will be at 12:15 p.m. at First
Presbyterian (17 N. Jackson St.). The second service will be at 6:30
p.m. at Faith Lutheran (2116 Mineral Point Ave.). |
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Easter Sunday
April 4th |
| Here is the Sunday that sets our souls spinning and
puts our faith in motion. Yes, there will be brass. Yes we will sing
with gusto. But more importantly, we will celebrate the holy truth that
God is a God of new beginnings, new opportunities, new challenges, and a
momentum that calls us still to this day faithfully forward. Our
Easter celebration begins at 10:00 a.m. |
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| Our Lenten evenings will invite us to open our hearts
and immerse ourselves in God's presence. We will meet for a shared meal
(please note the meal themes below) at six p.m. in Fellowship Hall.
Please bring your own table service, beverages will be provided. We
encourage our meal time to be intergenerational. Following our meal, we
will break into two groups. The children will explore the theme through
art and play. The adults will explore the theme through videos and
discussions. We will then regroup at 7:10 p.m. for a short worship
service together before leaving. The themes and food suggestions are
listed below. |
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| Date |
Theme |
Food Suggestion
(for you to bring to share) |
| February 24th |
Today |
Your favorite potluck item |
| March 3rd |
Hands |
Your favorite finger food |
| March 10th |
Shells |
Your favorite healthy food |
| March 17th |
Symbols |
Pizza Extravaganza! |
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Wednesday Morning Bible Study |
| We will be reading through An Altar in the World
in a way that corresponds with the scripture for the coming Sunday.
There will be warm coffee and occasional treats to nourish your body and
great conversation to nourish your soul. |
| February 17th |
Introduction, Chapters 7 & 8 |
Scripture: Luke 4:1-13 |
| February 24th |
Chapters 11 & 12 |
Scripture: Genesis 15: 1-12, 17-18 |
| March 3rd |
Chapters 3 & 4 |
Scripture: Exodus 16, selected verses |
| March 10th |
Chapters 5 & 6 |
Scripture: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 |
| March 17th |
Chapters 1 & 2 |
Scripture: Isaiah 43: 16-21 |
| March 24th |
Chapters 9 & 10 |
Scripture: Luke 19:28-40 |
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