The Awkward Season
Much of the broader Church observes Lent - the 40 day period, not counting Sundays, before Easter. The Passion and Resurrection continue to significantly shape the identity of Jesus followers. And yet, as we live into our common mission at Trinity, we also recognize the significance of the incarnation and Jesus’ journey - all that comes before the cross - as we discover and embody the love of Jesus in the world. Therefore, lent is a season of pilgrimage, an awkward season in which we allow the weight of darkness to be named, felt, and ultimately redeemed as we journey with Jesus toward the cross and resurrection. It is also awkward to focus on these things on Sundays, the time (even during Lent) historically reserved for celebration and recognition of the resurrection. Throughout this season, we gather together in a posture of contemplation as we observe the darkness growing, lament over that which is dead, and repent in preparation for Easter. We are invited to release all that stands in our way and distracts us from God. We are invited to receive what God desires for us. We are invited to return to the world, open to new ways of being with Jesus in the unfolding Kingdom of God.
Week by Week:
Ash Wednesday Service - March 6 @ 7pm
March 10: Temptation (Deuteronomy 26:1-11 • Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 • Romans 10:8b-13 • Luke 4:1-13)
March 17: Missing the Signs (Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 • Psalm 27 • Philippians 3:17-4:1 • Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a))
March 24: Wasting Away (Perishing) (Isaiah 55:1-9 • Psalm 63:1-8 • 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 • Luke 13:1-9)
March 31: Depravity of Sin (Joshua 5:9-12 • Psalm 32 • 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 • Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32)
April 7: Counting it all as Rubbish (Isaiah 43:16-21 • Psalm 126 • Philippians 3:4b-14 • John 12:1-8)
April 14: Palm Sunday - Laying it Down (Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 • Luke 19:28-40)
April 21: Easter - Rise!: “I have seen the Lord”/ Rise Again (Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 65:17-25 • Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 • 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 or Acts 10:34-43 • John 20:1-18 or Luke 24:1-12)
Discussion Prompts:
-Spend time in prayer, using a labyrinth. Click here to download paper copies of the prayer labyrinth. We are invited to release all that stands in our way and distracts us from God. We are invited to receive what God desires for us. We are invited to return to the world, open to new ways of being with Jesus in the unfolding Kingdom of God. As you released, received, and returned, what did you notice about God? About yourself?
-Read the gospel passage for the week again. What catches your attention? What word or phrase catches your attention or causes you to ask questions, piques curiosity, or maybe causes confusion? What images stay with you? What might God wish for you to discover and receive from this reading?
Resources & Music:
The Awkward Season by Pamela C. Hawkins
Atheism for Lent with Peter Rollins
Click here to download Trinity's Guide to Lent.
Lenten Lamentations - blog posts starting with day one (from 2017, but day by day you can follow and connect with daily - each day shares a story from history, reflection on scripture, confession and lament, and prayer; go to the bottom of linked page to click to subsequent days)
Good Friday to Easter, album by Page CXVI
Lent, album by Liturgical Folk
Christian Passover Meal from A Holy Experience
Parents: If your child especially connects with prayer labyrinths, you may want to invest in a handheld pewter labyrinth. Make your own using cardboard and sharpies, air-dry modeling clay, or masking tape on your carpet or rug. Pick any form that resonates with your family’s personality. However, although paper copies are simple, they can be just as meaningful.