Lent & Easter
Lent is a season of forty days, not including Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at Easter vigil. Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lenten, which means “spring.” The season is a preparation for celebrating Easter. Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time for penance by all Christians.
Services
Ash Wednesday: Wednesday, March 5, 2025. Time TBD
Palm Sunday: Sunday, April 20, 2025. Sunday School at 9:15, Service at 10:30
Holy Thursday: Thursday, April 17, 2025. Time TBD
Good Friday: Friday, April 18, 2025. Drop in options: Sanctuary open for prayer 10-noon; Prayer Labyrinth 11-3.
Easter Sunday
7:30: Sunrise Service, Station 19, Sullivan’s Island
9:00: Sanctuary casual service, nursery provided
10:30: Sanctuary traditional service, nursery and Children’s Church provided
What is Ash Wednesday?
“Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before God and our human mortality.
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. Although Ash Wednesday has ancient roots, it does not appear in the rituals of The United Methodist Church or our predecessor denominations until the 20th century.
Ashes are an ancient symbol. In Genesis, we read that God formed human beings out of the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). After expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the first human beings are told by God, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19 NRSV). The Hebrew word translated dust, is occasionally translated ashes elsewhere. Throughout scripture, ashes are part of rituals when people seek forgiveness and mourn their sin.”