ASH WEDNESDAY
Lent marks the forty days leading up to Easter, mirroring the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness. During Lent, we ask God to show us the world as it is. We begin with the reality of our finitude rubbed on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday— from dust we were made, to dust we shall return. Then, we walk through that reality in a kind of dress rehearsal. It’s the downward slope of God, the Great Descent, where the whole Church moves together toward the cross.
JOIN US ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18th, FOR ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE.
6:00PM - DINNER
6:30PM - MEET IN THE CHAPEL
We’ve posted a series of free devotionals to walk with you, and our whole church through this season. Below you’ll find a daily devotional that you are welcome to download. Let it guide you through this season, each day featuring brief reflections, scripture, blessings, and questions for the journey. Use them solo or with your people.
Easter is coming, yes. But for now, we sit in the ashes of our broken dreams and broken hearts, knowing that God sits here with us.
LENT
Lent. It is an ancient tradition practiced by many different Christian sects to observe the forty days between Ash Wednesday and the Easter season. It is forty days, excluding Sundays, to mirror the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting, praying, and even being tested by the evil one. As Advent leads into winter, Lent will lead into spring.
We invite you to think really big about God. God isn’t just found in the arduous study of scripture or super early morning prayer. God is also found in the beauty of nature, human creativity, spending time with friends or family, or a delicious meal shared with loved ones.
Reflecting on Jesus' life, death, and resurrection cannot help but cause us to think about how we define power, how we understand death, how we confront evil, how we show up for ourselves and others, and how God’s love is interwoven through it all. We are reminded what is it actually like to LOVE LIKE JESUS.
On Sundays, IHBC will be following Jesus on His way to the Cross by studying the Gospel of Mark. We hope you will join us.
