Lent 2025
Lent is a special time in the church year. In the 40 days before Easter (46 if you count Sundays), Christians traditionally spend time fasting, praying, and seeking to draw closer to God. Some people give up particular foods or distractions for Lent. Others take on a new habit or spiritual discipline. All of us can experience God’s grace as we seek to follow Jesus more closely during the Lenten season.
NUMC will offer some specific ways for you to deepen your discipleship this Lent:
Daily Devotional
During Lent and the week following Easter Sunday, you are invited to use the daily devotional book Lent for Everyone: Luke, by N.T. Wright. This devotional leads us through the entire Gospel of Luke. As Wright puts it, “The whole of Luke’s gospel is about the way in which the living God has planted, in Jesus, the seed of long-awaited hope in the world. It begins with that tiny life in Mary’s womb. It continues with Jesus as a young adult planting seeds of hope around Galilee and Jerusalem. It climaxes with Jesus himself being placed in the dark tomb and rising again to launch God’s worldwide project of putting the world the right way up. That’s the story we are now invited to live inside and make our own.”
You may pick up a book in the church office or at the sanctuary entrances at Metropolitan Memorial, or on the information table at the back of the Wesley sanctuary. We have a limited supply of books, so please keep to one copy per household so there are enough books to go around. If you want to donate to offset the cost of the books, $8.25 would reimburse the church for one book.
Weekly Study
Each week, we will have a chance to gather to discuss the readings, and – more importantly – to see how the lessons from Jesus’ life and teachings apply to our lives. This year, we will connect the week’s scriptures to some of the serving and advocacy ministries of National UMC and the United Methodist Church. On Thursday evenings, Rev. Janet will facilitate the scripture study, with special speakers to teach us about the ministry areas.
Thurs, March 6 – Creation Care
Thurs, March 13 – Food Ministries
Thurs, March 20 – Gun Violence Prevention
Thurs, March 27 – Anti-racism & Immigration
Thurs, April 3 – Accessibility
Thurs, April 10 – Ministries with LGBTQ+ people
Thursdays, 7-8 pm Eastern Time on Zoom
Meeting ID: 895 4472 3922 | Passcode: 386429
If you would prefer an in-person chance to discuss the Lenten readings, join the Community & Connections class in the Metropolitan Memorial Library, Sundays, 10 am, beginning March 9.
For more information about our Lenten study opportunities, contact Rev. Janet Craswell at jcraswell@nationalchurch.org.