LENT: Taking Up Faith Practices
Adapted from ELCA’s Living Lutheran blog
Ash Wednesday (February 14, 2024) marked the beginning of Lent, a season when God calls us to reflect on the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection. The imposition of ashes – when you receive ashes in the sign of the cross on your forehead – sets the tone for Lent. Each moment you encounter your reflection, your ashes are a striking reminder that “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19b). But the cross, a symbol of Jesus’ crucifixion, offers hope.
Similarly, in baptism, you received the sign of the cross on your forehead. Many of us begin our Christian life with baptism, called “to live among God’s faithful people, to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper, to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.” In the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – our parent church), we describe these instructions as faith practices to guide our daily living. But what do faith practices mean? And how do we practice them?
(Examples of faith practices and spiritual discipline include prayer, worship, solitude, acts of service, praise, generosity, scripture reading, repentance and forgiveness.)
This Lent, as you begin your journey toward the baptismal waters of Easter, we as part of the ELCA family invite you to take up faith practices as a spiritual discipline.
Lenten Resources…
- Wartburg Seminary: Lenten Journey 2024 Devotions
- Luther Seminary 2024 Lent Devotion: Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song
- St. Olaf College Lent 2024 Devotions: Promises at the Crossroads of History and Hope
- ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving study and prayer guide, including a daily calendar
- Lenten Devotionals from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
- Several Synods of the ELCA have come to gather to offer a daily Facebook devotional page entitled Lenten Photo a Day
- Taize Music: Jesus, Remember Me
- Taize Music: O Lord Hear My Prayer
- Taize Music: Bless the Lord My Soul
- Faithforward Daily Lent Devotions: Anatomy of the Soul
- Gospel In Life: Lent Devotional
- Lords Prayer Words: Traditional & Contemporary Prayers
Worship Opportunities…
- Each Sunday at 9:30a
- Palm/Passion Sunday – March 24 (9:30a worship)
- Good Friday – March 29 (7p worship)
- Easter Sunday – March 31 (9:30a worship)
We worship in person and stream/post on our Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/ChristLutheranVH
