What is Lent
The forty days of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday, are a time of introspection, self-examination, and deliberate attention to the redeeming power of God in our lives. Our worship this season strives to reflect this Lenten mood. In the language of the service, you will notice a focus on God’s mercy in our lives.
We spend this time in reflection to prepare for the great joy that awaits us on Easter. We are an Easter people. Lent gives us the opportunity to make the necessary room in our lives to experience the power of the resurrection for ourselves.
We invite you to join in this part of our community’s life together and pray you’ll find it food for your soul. Abundant blessings for a Holy Lent.
Observing Lent at St. Paul’s
At St. Paul’s we mark the season of Lent through changes in what we say, what we hear, and what we see on Sundays. We also hold special services and gatherings during the week. Here is some of what you can expect:
What you will see:
During Lent, we use purple for the vestments and on the altar. Purple is used for seasons of reflection and renewed commitment to God. Instead of flowers, we use bare branches to remind us that, although there are times when we feel separated from God, the hope of new life and a new relationship with God is, like spring, just around the corner.
The cocoon/butterfly mobile hanging over the altar is made each year by the children of St. Paul’s. Through the forty days of Lent, cocoons remind us of the temporary nature of death and the butterflies that wait inside will be visible signs of the resurrections that happen in our lives every day.
The "Goat Basket" in front of the altar is used to gather loose change from the children of the parish during the offertory. The money is sent to Episcopal Relief and Development's Goat project, which provides goats to families in need of a stable source of food and earnings. The project also provides a family with the opportunity to create a regular income.
What you will hear:
The hymns and service music have been chosen to reflect the mood and theme of each particular Sunday in Lent. You might notice the music has a more reflective tone than at other times in the church year.
The language of our prayers during Lent focuses on God’s abundant mercy in our lives and our continued need of God’s mercy and Grace. We say the General Confession, and begin each service with the “Penitential Rite”. This is meant to set the tone for the service, though it is important to remember that every Sunday throughout the year is a celebration of the Resurrection. Even in the middle of Lent, our eyes and hope are set on Easter.
How You Can Join the Journey:
There are lots of opportunities to create a Lenten journey here at St. Paul’s. We hope you will join us for as many of these offerings as is possible.
Friday House Churches
For several years, the community of St. Paul’s has gathered in parishioners homes on Friday nights during Lent for a simple meal and fellowship. This year, we will meet on five Fridays in Lent: March 18, 25 and April 1, 8, and 15. All interested may attend any or every Friday. Childcare will be provided. Please watch the weekly announcements for the location of each week's house church.
Adult Education – “Praying Our Way Through Lent”
9:00am on Sundays in the Lichtenberger Room.
Our Adult Education Series for Lent will look at various forms of prayer. The outline of the series will be:
3/13 Introduction
3/20 Praying with Scripture
3/27 Contemplative Prayer
4/3 Praying with Icons
4/10 Praying with the BCP
On Saturday, April 9, we will take a field trip to the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton. Please join us as we explore how prayer can shape our lives of faith.
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and Burning of the Palms
Tuesday, March 8 6:00pm
If you're not heading to the Big Easy for Mardi Gras, come feast on pancakes, don Mardi Gras apparel and enjoy fellowship and revelry before Lent begins! Ever wonder where the ashes for Ash Wednesday come from? We'll gather together and burn our palms from last year’s Palm Sunday. These burned palms, mixed with spiced oil, become the ashes for our Ash Wednesday service. The Pancake Supper is $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12, or $10 per family. All proceeds will benefit the Youth Group.
Join Us for Worship Services During Lent
St. Paul's has an extensive worship schedule during Lent. You can find out more in the Lenten Worship Schedule.
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