On Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm we will host an Ash Wednesday Service at W83 which marks the first step in the journey to Easter that the church has historically called Lent. The 40 day journey is reminiscent of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness during which he fasted (Matthew 4:1-11). So one way to think about Lent is that it is equivalent to an annual spiritual examination during which Christians remember that they don’t live on bread alone (Matthew 4:4) but are dependent on God’s grace. Ash Wednesday reminds us of this dependency which is why when the ashes are placed on the forehead they are done so in the shape of a cross, reminding us not only of our mortality but of God’s radical grace in rescuing us from death. This rescue is brought into sharp relief at the close of Lent which also focuses on death, but shifts our attention from our death to the death of Jesus. In a time when we are reminded daily of the number of deaths caused by the pandemic and the dark images of war in Ukraine let us immerse ourselves in God’s lenten story of hope in the face of death, not as an escape from the world but to more fully engage with it as those whose hope is in the death of death in the death of Christ.
But Jesus answered, “It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.”
Matthew 4:11
Here are some questions to reflect on as you begin your own lenten journey. They are from the late Jack Miller (pastor in Philadelphia and founder of World Harvest Mission) :
1. Is God working in your life?
2. Have you been repenting of your sin lately?
3. Are you building your life on Christ’s free justification or are you insecure and guilt-ridden?
4. Have you done anything simply because you love Jesus?
5. Have you stopped anything simply because you love Jesus?
Let me add this question:
6. Are you in dialogue with anyone about Jesus who doesn’t identify as a Christian?
Ash Wednesday
On Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm we will host an Ash Wednesday Service at W83 which marks the first step in the journey to Easter that the church has historically called Lent.
Coming up
- Join us for cake, March 6: Celebrate with us our 10 Year Anniversary after service.
- Find out ways to serve: RWS has opportunities to serve both on Sundays and during the week with time commitments that fit just about any schedule.
- Reflect on 40 Days of Hope: Ash Wednesday begins this week, prepare your hearts for the Lenten season by focusing on ways to pray, serve, and give. Follow this “40 Days of Hope” calendar from our friends at Hope for New York!
- Don’t Walk By registration now open!: Serve uptown neighbors this year during Saturday, April 9! The launch site will be The Salvation Army on 540 Lenox Ave, and Team Leader, outreach, hospitality, and more volunteer roles are needed. Connect with neighbors living on the street!
