Art: Mosaic of Alexander the Great, discovered in
Pompeii in 1831 under layers of volcanic ash
Dear Trinity,
We’ve been praying in Epiphany: “Teach us, Lord, to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Lent helps us do this. And tomorrow is one of my favorite services of the year: Ash Wednesday (services at 7am or 7pm).
I never had this service as a child, and as a result, Easter usually came too quickly, and meant a pastel basket filled with grass and candy. Lent helps us prepare for the mystery of Easter. Can we really celebrate the Resurrection when we have avoided participating in Christ's Death?
Lent is kicked off all over the world with the ancient service of Ash Wednesday - a service of repentance - where we remember that we were created from dust, and will return to dust. We are physically marked with the sign of the cross to remind us of an inner journey toward the cross that we are embarking upon because we are forgetful. We need this again and again.
I love the story that Alexander the Great had a servant whose sole purpose was to remind Alexander, upon waking, that Alexander was going to die. This message created a focus in Alexander that helped him conquer the world.
Ash Wednesday is the church's "servant" that wakes us up to the fact that we too, despite our money, our health, our warm houses, are going to die. Ash Wednesday is the narrowing of focus, for a time, to energize us in a certain direction.
Lent is a time of chosen focus, simplicity, and clarity to re-energize us toward the things that matter. It is 40 days, patterned after Jesus' 40 days in the Desert, where he fought off things that would tempt him away from his primary calling as God's child.
What is keeping you from this primary calling this Lent?
What is distracting you?
What do you need to do, for 40 days, to energize your focus upon the Lord, and your identity as his child?
What message - or food - or habit - do you need to fast from?
And then ... after 40 days of following Jesus into the desert of our own distractions, our temptations, our pettiness, and the things that bring us death - we can recognize him when he appears to us in the Resurrection. There is so much in us that still needs to die. Let us give ourselves to the Lord, and pray to enter into this Lent in a new way.
Let us find him anew.
Matt
P.S. - Lent was never meant to be walked alone. Are you in a small group? Look at the openings here and join a group today!
Building Update
In the Tidings last week, Pastor Matt and Guy Evans shared about where we are at in the process of planning and discerning an update to our building. We are at an exciting point as we wonder what God has in store for us!
Coming Up at Trinity Church
Ash Wednesday
March 5 @ 7am and 7pm
Ash Wednesday service marks the start of Lent, featuring a ritual of repentance where ashes are placed on the forehead as a reminder of mortality and the call to spiritual renewal.
Preschool Playgroup
March 5 @ 10am
Children age 0-5 and their caregivers are invited to come play, fellowship, and drink coffee together on the first and third Wednesday of each month at Trinity Church.
Body Boundaries
Equipping Families to Prevent Childhood Sexual Abuse
March 15 @ 7pm
Join Natalie Eggers as she helps equip families to prevent childhood sexual abuse. She will be using the core concepts from the Zero Abuse Project as she guides us in how we can support our children.
Preschool Playgroup
March 19 @ 10am
Children age 0-5 and their caregivers are invited to come play, fellowship, and drink coffee together on the first and third Wednesday of each month at Trinity Church.
Album Release Show with Jon Guerra
April 12
To celebrate the release of Carson's new record, Small Boy Running (you can listen to the first three songs here), Carson will be doing a show at Trinity Church with Jon Guerra on Sat, April 12! Jon will be on tour for his own forthcoming record called Jesus.
Trinity 101
May 2 @ 6:30pm
More info on Trinity 101 is coming soon!
Local Pilgrimage
May 16-18
What is a pilgrimage and why should you join? A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place, a remembering of our relationship with God. In this case, the holy place is the Clifton Meadow, a sacred peninsula encircled by the Icicle River. And our relationship with God is as His beloved sons and daughters.
Confirmation
June 1
Come worship and join your brothers and sisters who are publicly affirming their faith, receiving the laying on of hands by a bishop, and are being strengthened in their commitment to the Jesus. Interested in being confirmed? Reach out to Pastor Matt at 206-953-4129. There will be a 4 week cohort leading up to the confirmation service and we'd love to have you be a part of it!
Pilgrimage to El Paso Border
Week of July 4th
Seven members of our congregation will be going on an Abara Border Encounter (a.k.a. “listening trip”) in the Juárez-El Paso region. They will see people and hear stories outside the news cycle. This encounter invites us to listen, learn, and reflect on what the border can teach us, who we are meant to become in Christ, and how we can better engage with each other and our neighbors at home in Wenatchee.
Church Camp at Lazy F Camp in Ellensburg
August 15-17
Outdoor Baptism at Ingalls Creek
September 7
Bulletin Board
Our bulletin board is a place where you can express a need to our church body (ex: housing, items needed, jobs wanted, etc.) so that others can reach out and respond. Have a submission? Please email hello@trinitywenatchee.org for us to review.
Alyssa and Brent Bell welcomed Peter Jesse Bell into their family on February 12. Let's shower them with food as they settle into being a family of six. Sign up for the meal train here.
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