Lent, Holy Week, and Easter
The spiritual work of Lent includes three foundational practices:
- Quieting our inner lives to create space for reflection.
- Taking stock of our relationships with God and others.
- Adopting new habits that draw us closer to God.
There are many opportunities at St. Stephen’s to support your Lenten journey. Come be a part and grow deeper in faith this Lent!
Shrove Tuesday
The last day before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.
“Shrove” comes from the Old English word “shrive,” meaning absolve. Because Lent is a season of renewal, expressed in fasting and penitence, today is the day Christians would go to be “shriven” by their confessor. So Shrove Tuesday is an especially good day to reflect on what hinders your relationship with God and with those you seek to love.
Shrove Tuesday is also traditionally a day of feasting (“Mardi Gras” or “Carnival”). In some countries, Christians make pancakes in order to use up the butter, milk, sugar, and eggs before Lent begins. You might have been part of pancake suppers at St. Stephen’s in the past; hopefully, we’ll revive that tradition in the years to come!
Ash Wednesday
March 5 at 7:00 pm
Bishop Phil will lead the evening Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes. Afterwards, we’ll gather in the Parish Hall for conversation. You are invited to listen to Bishop LaBelle’s Lenten message here, where he reminds us that “Lent calls us to remember our dependence on God for all of our needs, and also to fast from the bonds of injustice in our world through our solidarity with the poor.” View the livestream here and view the bulletin here.
Sunday Forums
March 9: Continuing the Conversation: Who is God?
11:30 am–12:30 pm in the Parish Hall
As we enter Lent, our images of God have tremendous influence on our faith. What do “fasting and penitence,” the traditional spiritual practices of Lent, have to do with a loving God? How can we expand our knowledge of God in Lent? This Sunday, we will continue our exploration of practical theology begun in our forum on February 16; take a look at that presentation here.
March 23: Reconciliation with God and Each Other
11:30 am–12:30 pm in the Parish Hall
Is it even possible to put our whole heart into the passing of the peace (before Communion) in these troubled times? We will use the story of the Prodigal Son to reach deeper into this question and consider how saying “Peace” to others each Sunday is a moment spent in the deep ecosystem of God’s loving, forgiving, reconciling grace — our gateway to true peace.
Evening Prayer from Iona
Wednesdays in Lent
6:00-6:30 pm (beginning March 13)
Gather in the Chapel for a brief service of evening prayer steeped in silence, chant and candlelight. Our prayers come from the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian community founded on the Isle of Iona in Scotland and growing to include gatherings in the United Kingdom, Europe and United States. Learn more here.
Weekly Meditation on Sunday’s Psalm
The poetry of the Psalms holds and transmits the stories of people searching for the life-giving power of God’s unfailing love. Each Friday, find a brief reflection drawn from the week’s appointed Psalm by clicking on the image to the right. For centuries, Christian mystics have known God not as a distant patriarch, but as an experience of forgiveness, sustenance, and strength as close and essential as each breath. Encounter the binding force that makes us one with all of creation!
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5
Holy Week
Palm Sunday, April 13
10 a.m. in the Nave
Maundy Thursday, April 17
6:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall
Good Friday, April 18
7 p.m. in the Nave
Easter Day
April 20
10 am in the Nave
Festive Eucharist with special Choral Music
Easter Egg Hunt following the service
