Sunday, December 9, 2018

Newsletter Message

Dear Friends,

Next Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) marks the beginning of LENT - the annual 40-day season (excluding Sundays) of spiritual preparation for Easter. For the early church, Lent was a time when persons who had separated themselves from the community of faith for any number of reasons practiced repentance with rigor and intentionality. On Easter Sunday, they would celebrate renewal of faith and 'rejoin' the community, so to speak. In time, this 40-day period became a season of repentance and renewal for all persons in the community faith, since all of us need an intentional season of spiritual renewal from time to time. To find out more about Lent and how to get the most out of this 40-day experience, click here http://www.upperroom.org/lent101 (Note - the dates of this article reflect Lent 2012).

Here at Suncreek we will begin this season with our Ash Wednesday Service on February 13 at 7 p.m. (just after the Venture Crew-sponsored Pancake Supper in Palmer Hall). This service is a reminder of our sin, mortality and need for God's grace. At the conclusion of this service congregants are invited to come forward and kneel for the imposition of ashes (a sign of the cross made with ash on the forehead, as a sign of penitence).

Each Sunday in Lent, our worship will be more reflective in nature, omitting hymns with the celebratory "Alleluia" and instead featuring earth tone crosses and worship furnishings. Banners and vestments will be purple (a color associated with the royal reign of Christ), and corporate prayer will include a prayer of confession.

Holy Week will begin with Palm Sunday on March 24 and the "palm processional" led by our children.
Maundy Thursday (March 28, 7pm) will commemorate Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples and a more reflective experience of Holy Communion
Good Friday Tenebrae or Service of Darkness (March 29, 7pm) is often considered the most somber, reflective, yet powerful worship experience of the year as we recall both the deep love of Jesus and the dark hours of his' rejection betrayal, arrest, trial and crucifixion.

Finally, the Lenten Season concludes on Sunday Morning with the exhilarating good news of Easter - He is Risen.

Suncreek will feature 4 services of Easter Celebration on March 31:
7:00 a.m. 'Sunrise in the Sanctuary' culminated by an Easter procession to the Kathleen Baskin-Ball Baptistry Garden for a celebration of Baptismal Remembrance.

8:00 a.m. Easter Worship led by our combined choirs and culminated by the "Hallelujah Chorus"

9:30 a.m. Contemporary Easter lead by our Worship Team
11:00 a.m. Easter Worship led by our combined choirs and culminated by the "Hallelujah Chorus"

I invite you to make plans now to experience a rich and meaningful Lent with your "Alive! In Christ" Suncreek family. As you prayerfully approach this season with intentional spiritual preparation, your celebration of Resurrection Hope will be that much more powerful, and your Easter 'Alleluia' will be that much more profound.

Peace in Christ,

Pastor Tom

P.S. Don't miss worship February 10 as we celebrate the ministry partnership that we share with Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and American Heritage Girls. See you Sunday!

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