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Midweek Lenten Worship

Let us be renewed this Lent as a tree comes to new life as it flowers and sends out new leaves in the spring. Our theme will be “The Tree of Life.” Our midweek services begin with Ash Wednesday on February 22. We will have a return of our SoupSuppers (so please sign up so we know there will be food to share). We will eat supper at 5:15, after CLAC. Then our worship will begin at 6 PM. We will worship in the chapel and the message will be brought to us by some of our Headwaters’ pastors who are taping their homily. That way each congregation will gather for their own service with their pastor but the focus of the week will be provided from a variety of leaders.

Many world religions use the image of the tree of life when depicting their central beliefs and values. For Christians, that tree of life is the cross. Each week a biblical passage and a hymn will cast some light on the cross of Christ as our tree of life. Ash Wednesday will highlight that we are dust. We will again recall our earthly roots and existence. We will have the imposition of ashes and Holy Communion. Pastor Max will be leading the service with our lectionary readings of Psalm 51 and Matthew 6.

March 1 brings us the story in Genesis 2–3 that imagines that the first humans were immortal, and only after they sinned were they denied fruit from the tree of life. InnLent we know ourselves to be mortals who repeatedly cut ourselves off from the life God gives. Reading: Genesis 2:8-9, 15-18; 3:22-24

March 8 uses the imagery of the art and poetry of the ancient Near East, where powerful nations and their monarchs were likened to the tree of life. The prophet, Ezekiel, promises that God will “bring low the high tree” and “make high the low tree”. In Lent we look to the cross as the “low tree” that will give life to all the world. Reading: Ezekiel 17:22-24

In some poetry of the ancient Near East, wisdom was likened to a great woman in the skies who guided people toward righteous living. On March 15 we hear that for the Hebrew people, this Wise Woman was the Torah. In Lent we can see Christ as this Wisdom, a tree of life for us. Reading: Proverbs 3:13-18

On March 22 we hear Mark’s gospel turn the ancient image of the tree of life upside down as it speaks of the mustard bush which is not a great tree, but rather an annual plant. In Lent we gather around the cross, which is like a mere mustard bush. Yet we see it as our tree of life, making a nest in its branches and being nourished by baptismal waters. Reading: Mark 4:30-32

Our final Wednesday, on March 29, highlights Paul’s contrasting of the life of the flesh—that is, each person focused only on the self—with the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit of the Spirit sustains us for lives of service to others. In Lent we who are baptized gather around the cross as our tree of life, where we receive these Spirit-centered fruits.Reading: Galatians 5:16-26

Souper Bowl Sunday — February 12th  During the month of January add some soup to your shopping carts and bring those cans to church. By the weekend of the Super Bowl we will have towers of soup cans that will be taken to our local Food Pantry in February. We will also have soup kettles available the second weekend of February for monetary donations that will go to the Lakeland Food Pantry. This yearly event has raised millions of dollars and millions of pounds of soup over the years. We join with youth and congregations all over the U.S. in this worth while effort. We will report back to you our total collection and the total that comes thorugh the Souper Bowl of Caring.

Learn with Us

Women’s Bible Study: The women will meet Monday Feb. 20 at 1:00 p.m. and use the Women of the ELCA’s Gather magazine.Women’s Bible Study

Men’s Bible Discussion: The men meet every Monday at 1:00 pm.   New participants are always  welcome.  Come join the discussion.

Sunday Zoom Bible Study  7:00 – 8:00 PM  February 12 & 26
Contact the office for the link and study materials