March 2019 Worship Schedule:
Milt Warkentien, Music Ministry Coordinator and Lightshine Youth Choir Director
Worship schedule:
Sunday, March 3rd Traditional with communion
8:30 Chancel Choir 10:45 Sunday School Choir
Ash Wednesday, March 6th
Noon (no choir)
7 p.m. Chancel Choir
Sunday, March 10th Traditional
Bells of Peace at both services
7:00 Wednesday, March 13th Holden Village Lenten Service
Sunday, March 17th Traditional with communion
8:30 Lightshine 10:45 Chancel Choir
7:00 Wednesday, March 20th Holden Village Lenten Service
Sunday, March 24th Band Led
8:30 Chancel Choir 10:45 Sunday School Choir
7:00 Wednesday, March 27th Holden Village Lenten Service
Sunday, March 31st Traditional with communion
Bells of Peace at both services
7:00 Wednesday, April 3rd Holden Village Lenten Service
Sunday, April 7th Traditional with communion
8:30 Chancel Choir 10:45 Lightshine
It’s hard to believe it’s already March and that we begin Lent on March 6th, with Ash Wednesday. In Lent we’ll be looking at some of Jesus’ “Notable Quotables.” We WILL be using the Holden Village service again on Wednesday nights. I’m still looking for something different to use during Lent, so if you know of something please let me know.
Please let me know if you still enjoy the Holden Service, too. When we use something for as long as we’ve used the Holden Service, it gets hard for me to tell if it’s still worshipful for people. I do know that some people come just for the Holden Service, so I know it’s at least worshipful to them.
Lent is always an interesting time of year for me. I don’t give up something. I like minor keys in music and know that Jesus rose to save me, so sometimes it gets hard for me to get into the Season of Lent, like I do for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
Why is this? Is it that I’m tired from the last three seasons? Could it be I don’t like looking at my shortcomings like I do at how my light is shining? I really don’t know. Many times Epiphany is a time I look at shortcomings because I think my light to the world falls short. So maybe that’s it; I’ve already looked at shortcomings during Epiphany. I doubt that’s it either, but maybe. How many of you have trouble focusing on the season of Lent? Do you have answers for why this might be?
I find it interesting that the ELW doesn’t have “Create in Me a Clean Heart” in the settings, like the LBW did. There are four in the Service Music section of the ELW (185-188), but not in the settings themselves. Psalm 51 is the verse that we commonly use in Ash Wednesday, which has the “Create in Me” text in verse 10, so it’s not that we’re avoiding that text. There is good news for those of you that are missing the “Create in Me;” We WILL be using it for the Offertory, after the Offering.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free Spirit.”
What a wonderful verse, for the most part. I don’t understand the “Cast me not away” and “take your Holy Spirit from me” lines. They seem so out of line with the God I know. The God I know wouldn’t cast me away or take the Holy Spirit from me. I thought that was what Jesus’ death and resurrection was all about? I thought God was always there for me? Are these lines part of what makes Lent difficult for me? I don’t know. I know this Lenten season we will still be looking at the Gospel of Matthew. We will be staying with the Matthew texts for Good Friday, too; which means two of my favorite passages of Jesus’ death will not be heard, as they are both in Luke. Could this be why Lent is difficult this year? Why do I struggle so with the Season of Lent?
I hope this Lenten season is meaningful for you, as Easter is always better, for me, with a meaningful Lenten season. I leave you with a verse from ELW 325, I Want Jesus to Walk with Me:
“I want Jesus to walk with me; I want Jesus to walk with me;
all along my pilgrim journey, Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.”
May Jesus walk with you, as you walk with Jesus this Lenten Season and all through your life.
Milty