CALL TO WORSHIP
Psalm 146

MUSIC
Curated by Kevin Borst
Phil Wickham - This is Amazing Grace
Cody Carens - Firm Foundation
Hillsong Worship - O Praise The Name
Brooke Ligertwood - Banner

REFLECTIVE PRAYER: BEGINNING OF LENT
Written by Yelena Pakhomova

This Wednesday, we begin the season of Lent - forty days that will take us to Easter.
Traditionally, Lent invites us to deep inner work through such practices as self-examination, fasting, prayer and acts of justice.

But there is a lightness to Lent too.

As it takes us from winter into spring, it encourages us to re-discover things that make us feel alive.
And so, in our prayer today, we will take a bit of a personal inventory and ask ourselves three questions to reflect on what this season could look like for us this year. Let us pray.

Loving God, who is closer to us than we are aware,
as we prepare to journey toward Easter,
may we not be afraid to begin Lent just as we are,
with the reality of competing priorities,
decisions waiting to be made,
our worries, hopes and expectations,
and as we do so, may we embrace the gift of Lent
to become more whole.

So we take a moment now to check in with ourselves and ask -
what is one need that is shaping me right now and that I carry with me into this season?
[Pause]

God, who calls us beloved,
as we seek renewal and growth this season,
help us to be attuned to all the ways we experience joy.
May we be intentional in cultivating delight
and paying attention to what speaks to us of your deep, deep love.

We take a moment now to ask - what is it that fills me with joy, and how can I nourish it this season?
[Pause]

God of immediate and slow transformations,
of clear answers and long silences,
of hard work and unexpected grace,
May we enter the season of Lent open-heartedly,
ready to be present to the work you are doing in us.

We take a moment now to ask - what is the invitation you are extending to me this season? To what should I pay attention?
[Pause]

Gentle God,
As we begin our journey toward the cross and resurrection,
ground us in your grace every step of the way.
Amen.