This is part of the worship series,
"A Table in the Wilderness”
Introduction
Letter of Invitation | Lent 1 | Lent 2 | Lent 3 | Lent 4
Lent 5 | Palm Sunday | Good Friday | Easter Sunday | Communion Liturgy
Prayer Path: A Journey in the Wilderness
Letter of Invitation
The following letter was sent out ahead of the season of Lent at Fleetwood CRC. The words that appear in blue can be adjusted to fit your church context.
Dear community members,
We would like to invite you to participate in a Lenten journey with us. Lent, a name derived from the Latin word lente, meaning “slow” but also “springtime,” is a beautiful season offering many spiritual resources to those who commit to the forty-day journey. This is especially true when it is a shared journey with a community intentionally praying for God’s love to find new places to bloom in the deserts of our lives.
Modeled after Jesus’ forty days in the desert, Lent is a time to become more open to God through the vulnerabilities of life. [Insert a statement about how your community as a whole or individuals within it may be experiencing the wilderness.] The questions of ancient Israel resound in our hearts: can God really spread a table before us (Psalm 23) in the presence of global and personal fears and sorrow?
Our Lenten observance this year comes with an invitation to bring that doubt, fear, sorrow, loneliness, and dryness before God and join with others wanting to taste God’s promised provision in the deserts of life. At [name of church], we’re providing a number of ways for you to take that journey of trust and provision this Lent:
[Insert list of events/opportunities for reflection that are available for your congregation, such as the following.]
- Weekly Sunday worship with communion following the theme “A Table in the Wilderness”
- Wednesday evening prayer reflecting on psalms of provision
- Outdoor prayer path, “Journey Through the Wilderness” that will grow in length as Easter approaches
- Weekly devotional guide to psalms of provision
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, [add date], marking the beginning of our forty-day journey to Easter. Will you join the community of [name of church] in giving God a chance to feed us with the food only God can provide?
[Insert name of the pastor, group, or individual who is sending out the letter along with your congregation’s logo with location, website, phone, and email address.]
