An Invitation to Lent: The Cross-Shaped Way
Before he is arrested, before he faces trial, before he is beaten and crucified, before the road which will lead to his death: Jesus prays. Not only does Jesus pray, he invites those who will walk the road beside him – those who were his closest friends – to also pray. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) Jesus is preparing himself for the road which leads to the cross, and knows that his friends need to prepare themselves for the cross-shaped way which he is leading them on.
Our Lord models what is good for us, and so we too must prepare for the road he leads us on. In Lent, we do prepare. We fast that our spiritual hungers might be fed before the other hungers we usually far more readily attend to. We watch as gospel stories tell us again the familiar road which Jesus walked for us, and we learn anew the way which our steps must go. We pray that we might have strength for the journey, faithfulness to follow, and hope that the cross-shaped way does not end in death but in new life for us and for the world.
We begin this story together again this week. On Wednesday at 7:30pm, we will observe Ash Wednesday as a church and sit with Jesus in that garden of overwhelming sorrow. You are invited to come with us, to stay with us, and to pray with us: that we would be prepared for the life of following which he calls us to not only in this season of Lent but in all of our lives.
If you cannot join us in person on Wednesday, I hope that you will still take time on that day to pray and that as we come together in worship each Sunday in Lent we would discover again and again the goodness of the way of the cross for our lives, for the city we love, and for the world which we serve.
Come, let us follow Jesus to the cross.
Your pastor + friend,
Nick
Lent Sermon Series
The Cross-Shaped Way
The Christian life is a cross-shaped life because it is a life of following Jesus. Jesus tells his friends: “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” To deny ourselves and to choose to carry our cross is the invitation of our Lord. In this season of Lent we will consider what it meant for Jesus to take up his cross: the price which he paid, the challenges his followers faced in those moments, and the ways which he invites us to follow him in our lives today. We will use scripturally significant moments as Jesus prepares for his passion, as he endures false testimony and malicious scorn, and as he goes before us in taking up the cross, to linger in this season and to hear Jesus’ invitation anew—that we might follow closely in his cross-shaped way.
Ash Wednesday | FEB 22 @ 7:30pm
Mark 14:32–42, Jesus prays in the garden
1st Sunday in Lent | FEB 26 @ 11am + 4:30pm
Luke 22:47–53, Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested
2nd Sunday in Lent | MAR 5 @ 11am + 4:30pm
Mt 26:57–68, Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin
3rd Sunday in Lent | MAR 12 @ 11am + 4:30pm
Lk 22:54–62, Jesus is denied by Peter
4th Sunday in Lent | MAR 19 @ 11am + 4:30pm
John 18:28–19:1, Jesus is judged by Pilate + Scourged
5th Sunday in Lent | MAR 26 @ 11am + 4:30pm
John 19:16–17; Mark 15:21–22, Jesus takes up his Cross + is Helped by Simon of Cyrene
HOLY WEEK
Palm Sunday | APR 2 @ 11am + 4:30pm
Luke 23:27–31, Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Holy Tuesday | APR 4 @ 7:30pm
Service of Prayer for Healing
Maundy Thursday | APR 6 @ 7:30pm
John 19:25–27, Jesus entrusts Mary and John to each other
Good Friday | APR 7 @ 11am
Luke 23:44–49; John 19:38–42, Jesus Dies + is Buried
Easter Sunday | APR 9 @ 11am
Luke 24:1–35, Resurrection
+ 10am Easter treats outside on the lawn (or inside, weather dependent)
(no 4:30pm worship today)
