LENT Week 1
Follow along daily throughout with us this Lent as we explore the key Wesleyan emphases of holiness:
Covenant, Discipleship, Sanctification, Repentance, and Unity
This season we will journey further into love as we are more perfectly formed to tell the story of God with our head, heart, and hands.
Week 1 - A Heart for Covenant
THE EXAMEN
The Examen is a daily spiritual discipline of prayerful questions created by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in order to help prime his spiritual vision to be able to see God moving and working in his life. His constant invita- tion to those he lived and worked with was to find God in all things. The Jesuits, the holy order of priests and brothers founded by St. Ignatius, order their lives in perpetual poverty, chastity, and obedience, and pray the Examen every night.
Use these five prayerful steps to find God in all things this Lenten season.
1. Attune to God’s presence. Find a comfortable position and ground yourself with deep, slow breathing. Know that God is with you, always as close as your next breath. God is with you even now.
2. Review your day. What was a consolation to you today?
*Consolations are anything, any place, or any person that brings us closer to God. Consolations can be good, bad, or neutral themselves - but they are those things which usher us into the presence of God.*
3. What was a desolation to you today?
*Desolations are anything, any place, or any person that brings us further away from God. Desolations can be good, or neutral themselves - but they are simply those things which draw us out of the presence of God.*
4. Give thanks for the day. Name the moments and the people and the experiences you are most grateful to God for today.
5. A Covenant is a promise made between God and human beings.
What can you promise to God in this season of confession and prayer?
SUNDAY
Lectionary Readings
Genesis 9:8-17, Psalm 25:1-10, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15
Join us for Worship this First Sunday of Lent
We are excited to welcome you to worship in-person or online at ESUMC. We will worship at 10:30 am for The Gathering and 8:30 am & 10:30 am for the Sanctuary.
The livestream and bulletin for this Sunday can be found online at esumc.org/livestream.
MONDAY
MUSIC
“God of the Sparrow, God of the Whale”
United Methodist Hymnal 122
offered by eStreet MWA Children’s Choirs
Click here for more Lenten Music
TUESDAY
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
by Sam Isley
Gracious and loving God, we want our hearts to beat in sync with yours. We want to stick to our commitments, just like you stick with yours. Help us see beyond ourselves, to really get what it means to love like you do—unconditionally, generously, and without keeping score. Forgive us for the times we have sought to confine your boundless presence within the limited confines of our understanding. We confess that we have, at times, tried to fit you into a small box of our expectations, desires, and beliefs. Help us to embrace your boundless love, your infinite wisdom, and your unfailing grace. May we be open to your revelation, allowing your Spirit to work in us and through us. Forgive those times we’ve made it all about us. Show us how to live out your example of covenant in our lives: in our friendships, in our relationships, in our community—everywhere. Help us be people others can count on, people who bring a glimpse of your unwavering love into the world. Jesus showed us what true commitment looks like. So, we’re asking for a little nudge in that direction. Guide us, mold us, give us a heart for covenant and let your love spill out into everything we do. We pray you’ll help us live each day wrapped up in your love, sharing it with others. Amen.
WEDNESDAY
ART & POETRY
Click Here to see this week’s artwork
THURSDAY
FIRST READ PODCAST (LIVE)
Join us on Wednesday evenings this spring (2/21-3/20) for Midweek Bible Study to connect, gather around the table for dinner, and learn together. Our Bible study will focus on the scriptures being preached each week during Lent. Several pastors and laity will engage in a live recording of ESUMC’s First Read Podcast beginning at 7:00 PM each week, followed by conversation at tables and time for Q & A. We look forward to seeing you there as we journey through the Lenten season together.
Click Here for this week’s episode
FRIDAY
STORIES
As we start our Lenten journey, we want to introduce you to L’Arche NC and Learning Together. In a society that often marginalizes those with disabilities, these partners of ours stand as a testament to the transformative power of community. L’Arche and Learning Together are models for building holy friendships and empowering one another to lead the fulfilling lives God desires for everyone. In North Carolina, where over 70% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) need affordable care and housing, L’Arche stands as a beacon of hope and compassion. L’Arche recently purchased their first home in the Triangle area. This will be a place where meals are shared, friendships are formed, and every gift is celebrated. The care model of L’Arche is unique; they provide specialized care, personalized support, and a nurturing environment where individuals with I/DD not only reside, but flourish. Additionally, L’Arche gatherings happen each week in our Bulla Youth Building, where L’Arche also has office space. Whether it’s creating art, baking treats, or doing service projects, these gatherings of people with all abilities are full of laughter and joy. Relationships are built and community takes place in the same spot our youth gather on Sunday evenings. Located on the 1st floor of our church, Learning Together envisions a future where children of all abilities and backgrounds have access to high-quality, equitable education and resources, families are equipped, and the broader community collaborates to inspire lifelong learning. This developmental day center for young children and community of resources empower children with and without developmental delays and their families with the tools and skills essential for a life of learning and success. Throughout Lent, we will be learning more about L’Arche and Learning Together, and how we can join these amazing organizations in building a more compassionate and just world, where everyone, regardless of ability, is valued and celebrated.
SATURDAY
LENTEN ALMSGIVING
Throughout Lent, we invite you to join us in the spiritual practice of almsgiving - the sacrificial sharing of our resources to partner with God’s work in the world. Our hope is to raise $20,000 for L’Arche NC and Learning Together, to provide resources for Learning Together scholarships and to help to fill L’Arche’s new home. We hope you will join us as we practice living like Jesus by sharing our resources and cultivating charitable hearts! Click the links below to give resources and/or time this week.