Next week we begin Lent … a season of reflection as we prepare for Holy Week and the death and resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.
Once again, your ministry team will be using worship, study, and resources for all ages from the folks at Sanctified Art. Here’s their introduction to Lent and to the materials.
“Lent was originally a season for new converts to learn and prepare for their baptism on Easter. During that time, they would study what was central to Christianity. As we crafted this series, we studied what was central to Jesus’ life and ministry: radical welcome, love for neighbor, care for the vulnerable, nourishment for the hungry, nonviolence in the face of injustice. At the heart of Jesus’ teachings, we find liberation, love, mercy, and grace—all of which are meant to be very good news for us all.
Jesus’ words are easily distorted and sanitized in our modern world. Following Jesus leads to a richer, more expansive life, but it’s not necessarily comfortable. Jesus’ ministry can be described as “radical” which comes from the Latin word “radicalis,” meaning “root” or “ground.” Therefore, the good news should bring us back to our roots. Emulating Jesus and embodying his teachings should ground us in who God created us to be. Can we be “good news” people in a world too often burdened by bad news?
This Lent, let us remember that the good news really is good news. It is joyful—like fine wine saved for celebration. It grows like a mustard seed and smells like perfume poured from an alabaster jar. It tastes like bread passed endlessly through a hungry crowd. It sounds like laughter and feels like mercy. The good news is alive in the world.
We hope this series will provide fertile ground for conversation and worship, rooting our hearts and lives in the expansive goodness of God. This Lent, let the teachings of Jesus lead us forward. May the good news inspire us to take action in a world desperate to hear, see, and taste what is good.”
The creators recommend some advanced reading and watching for worship leaders. They include books and youtube conversations with well known authors. One of the ones they recommend before we begin the series is a short column on Substack by one of the theological reflectors for “Tell Me Something Good” which I think helps to orient folks to the themes and conversations we will be having.
“We All Must Be Evangelists: Exorcising Bad Christian Takes for the Sake of Good News” by Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dail.
A Liberated Life: Musings from Rev. Lizzie. Published on Substack. July 6, 2025.
(8) We All Must Be Evangelists - by Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dail
There are lots of events next week as we begin the Season of Lent … a Pancake supper on Tuesday, our Lenten Faith Study begins Wednesday evening at 7 pm (the Reflection journals will be available for picking up or ordering on Sunday), and there is an Ash Wednesday service at Hope United at 7 pm for those that might be looking for one. Details of all the events will be in the bulletin and on our website.
Of course our hearts are broken and the country is in shock after the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, BC this week. Most politicians have put aside their posturing and come together to support the community in its grief.
However, there are some folks that are using this tragedy to spread misinformation about and hatred against the trans community, and I would urge everyone to seek out reliable news sources, and not succumb to the blatant lies being spread on social media. Below are two articles, one from CTV and one from the Globe and Mail that offer the facts, and articulate the damage done to the trans community when misinformation is spread.
After Tumbler Ridge shooting, false claims about trans people spread online - The Globe and Mail