Lent at Emmanuel 2022
Lent, the 40 day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter, began as a period of preparation for “catechumens,” those persons seeking baptism into Christ at the Great Vigil of Easter. Quite soon, long-term parishioners began wishing they could also receive the benefits of this group practice, and this season expanded into a time for all Christians. We begin it together on Ash Wednesday, March 2nd this year, with a briefer liturgy of the day at 12:15 pm, or a fuller liturgy with music at 7pm. Both will include imposition of ashes.
During Lent, join us in the nave for Stations of the Cross every Friday at 12:15. This half-hour service leads us through the steps of Jesus on the way to his Crucifixion and is ideal for your lunch hour.
As usual, we are also offering a seasonal formation focus for our parish community, but this year in an all-ages mode. Each Sunday will offer a chance to engage one of the traditional Three Pillars of Lent: Fasting, Prayer, and Almsgiving, led by our Intergenerational Formation team.
At home this year, we encourage Emmanuel kids and parents to enter into the season by using the book Make Room: A Child's Guide to Lent and Easter. This work integrates themes of hospitality and self-giving that echo Jesus’ ministry. Make Room invites children to wonder about the story, to encounter Lent with all their senses, and to experience activities in Lent as part of a life of discipleship.
Emmanuel adults can enter into the themes of this season with our Lent 2022 book, Toolkit for Spiritual Growth: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving by Evan Armatas. Order it online, or ask the office to order it for you. Highly practical, this brief devotional text supports Emmanuel’s focus on growing in Christian tools, and will also give us a window into the Orthodox Church and help us examine how individualism and self-directed choices are affecting our spiritual lives. A time for group discussion will be scheduled late in Lent. You can download our reading guide to this book below.
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