Ready For Lent

Dear friends,

For many years, I tried to follow the ritual of denying myself something for the season of Lent. Sometimes this spiritual discipline yielded new focus, but often it led to a lot of time yearning for the thing that I was missing. It was a challenge of New Year’s Resolution proportions to think of this year’s object of denial, and it was just as large a task to try to follow it for the duration of Lent.

Then someone mentioned the notion of adopting something new instead. It is still a challenge to think of what the thing is, so we have some ideas to offer.

Firstly, as a last hurrah before Lent, join us for a joyous 4:00 p.m. Evensong this Sunday. The 45-minute service of Evening Prayer, led by the Bethesda Choir, will include a thrilling anthem for 7 voice parts by late Tudor composer Thomas Tomkins (O sing unto the Lord) and a set of canticles commissioned from me in 2020. We’ll sing our last Alleluias for the season.

Evensong will be preceded at 3:30 p.m. with a 25-minute organ recital of music by women composers, performed by the Artist-in-Residence from St. Olaf, Catherine Rodland. Then join us for Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) in the Garth on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. for Bingo, live jazz, and treats.

Start off Lent by worshiping with us on Ash Wednesday. There will be four services with Imposition of Ashes. The 8:00 a.m. service will be spoken, the 12:05 p.m. service will include hymns, the 4:00 p.m. service will be for children (parents should join in!), and the 7:00 p.m. service will include full choir. We’ll also have Morning Prayer at 8:30 a.m. every Tues/Wed/Thurs/Fri, our noon Eucharist and Lenten Lunch every Wednesday, Lent Madness, and the Lenten Retreat will be on Saturday, March 15.

A wonderful Lenten project is to consider joining one of our liturgical ministries at Bethesda. I would love to connect you with the Chair of the Altar Guild, the Flower Guild, the Usher Corp, or the Production Team (audio and video) for information. Or, if you’d like to learn how to be an Acolyte, Crucifer, Verger, or Usher, you could join us after the 11:00 a.m. service on Sunday, March 16, in the church. We’ll walk through the routine and then enjoy some burgers and hot dogs from the grill. All of these ministries have flexible schedules, requiring only occasional service. Inquiring is not a commitment, but simply an opportunity to see if you think a particular ministry might be a good fit. Just RSVP to Jennifer Symons at Jennifer@bbts.org or 561-655-4554. For information about any of these ministries, please contact me at forster@bbts.org or 561-853-0953. We warmly welcome your participation.

Stuart.