Page updated 22 February 2023
Lent is a season of prayer, fasting and self-examination, preparing for the celebration of the resurrection of the Lord at Easter. It is a period of 40 days — like the flood of Genesis, Moses’ sojourn at Mount Sinai, Elijah’s journey to Mount Horeb, Jonah’s call to Ninevah to repent, and Jesus’ time of testing in the wilderness. (Sundays in Lent are not counted in this reckoning of the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter, as every Lord’s Day is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.
Save the Dates
- Ash Wednesday – 22 February 2023
- First Sunday in Lent – 26 February 2023
- Palm Sunday – 02 April 2023
- Maundy Thursday – 06 April 2023
- Good Friday – 07 April 2023
- Easter Sunday – 09 April 2023
Holy Week Services
More details will be provided as plans develop.
April is right around the corner, and that means that Holy Week and Easter are also coming up quickly! We are planning special worship experiences for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, which involve some advance planning and help with setting the space. If you are interested in helping with these services, please contact Pastor Trina to volunteer. More details to come!
We are also looking for musicians and/or singers for Easter Sunday. If you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to share your gifts, now is a great time!
Maundy Thursday
We will be holding a Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) service the evening of April 6th. This will be a different approach than our traditional Maundy Thursday service. We will gather around tables in the Fellowship Hall for a potluck meal and a time for sharing scripture, prayer, and personal stories.
Good Friday
We will not be holding an in-person Good Friday service. We will provide links for online live or recorded services and information about local in-person services at other local churches.
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday worship will be at 10:30 April 9th in-person in the sanctuary and streamed via Zoom.
Lenten Resources
Lenten Devotionals
Presbyterians for Earth Care (PEC) invites individuals and congregations to participate in the growing earth care movement within the PC(USA). They have written a daily Lenten devotional on themes of care and stewardship for God’s good creation.
d365 is a short daily online devotion written for youth and adults. The devotion follows a five-step format – Pause, Listen, Think, Pray, Go.
- The Pause step remains the same all week and is designed as a centering tool as you begin the devotion.
- The Listen step is the scripture passage for the day, using the Common English Bible translation.
- The Think step is the devotional thought by the week’s writer.
- The Pray step is the start of a prayer that you can expand into your own conversation with God.
- The Go step is a call to action – launching you from this moment toward acting on what you have heard.
Instrumental music is available for your devotional experience. You can start the music by selecting the music notes at the top right of the screen, and then you can adjust the volume as needed.
Lord, When Did We See You? – A Matthew 25 Lenten Experience, is a daily Lenten devotional published by Presbyterians Today. This devotional spends time each week exploring one of Jesus’ “I was” statements: I was hungry; you fed me; I was thirsty; you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger; you welcomed me; I was naked; you gave me clothing; I was sick; you took care of me, I was in prison; you visited me; Just as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me. This devotional was published in 2022 and is keyed to dates for Lent in that year but can still be used in 2023.
You can learn more about the devotional and download it at this link.
This “Vital Congregation” lent devotion offers weekly reflections by pastors and presbytery staff participating in the Vital Congregations Initiative. In addition to reflecting on scripture the writers contribute a favorite soup recipe to encourage a practice of fasting once a week during Lent. The resource is organized according to the 7 Marks of Congregational Vitality: Lifelong Discipleship Formation, Intentional Authentic Evangelism, Outward Incarnational Focus, Empowering Servant Leadership, Spirit-Inspired Worship, Caring Relationships, and Ecclesial Health.
Walk more closely with Christ this weekly Lenten season with Practicing Jesus’ Seven Last Words, a new Lent devotional from the Presbyterian church in Canada. This devotional guide will take you through the seven final phrases said by Jesus according to the gospels, providing prayers, reflections and activities for each week of Lent.
Presbyterian Church in Burlington 