The season of Lent begins with the onset of Ash Wednesday. Lent should not be confused with the lint
picked out of the clothes dryer filter.
Yet for some, the roughly six-week season that precedes Easter has some features similar to that of a
dryer.
In many faith traditions, Lent is reminiscent of a dry and arid atmosphere in preparation of a lush and
robust Easter season. People dry out from their indulgence and try to live a simpler, barren life
without the dust and lint of their excesses. Those things are filtered by one’s practices during Lent.
There are people who give up items of excess for Lent, while others heat up their prayer lives with
mid-week Lenten services. Like the atmosphere of a dryer is substantially different than the outside,
warmer than the winter cold and the overflowing abundance of moisture in the washer. Church services
often take a more somber tone as people prepare themselves for the joyous alleluias and celebration of
the risen Lord.
Various churches will celebrate the season beginning Wednesday with distribution of ashes, reminding
those gathered that they are dust and to dust they shall return, all the while reminding them to shake
that dust and lint off their lives and clean up their ways of life to live a rich life in their faith.
It is a season of prayer, almsgiving and fasting.
Joint services:
• Hope Lutheran Church and Cloverdale United Methodist will hold joint services on Wednesdays throughout
Lent. The public is invited to join for the services. The churches will together explore “The
Way-Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus.” The sessions will include a video from Adam Hamilton’s travels
to the Holy Land, providing a first-person experience while his biblical wisdom and historical knowledge
provide thoughtful and insightful commentary on the Jesus’ life and ministry.
Hope Lutheran Church is located at 13507 Cloverdale Road and Cloverdale United Methodist Church is
located at the corner of Cloverdale and Kramer Roads. All are welcome to attend. The first session will
be Ash Wednesday at Hope, and services will alternate between the churches after that.
• The churches of the North Baltimore Area Cooperative Ministry announce weekly “Community Lenten
Lunches” on Wednesdays of Lent. Members of the community are invited to lunch and Lenten devotions from
noon to 1 p.m. at a North Baltimore church.
There is no cost for the meal. Participants are invited to give an offering for the ministries of NBACM
including the Community Food Pantry.
Ash Wednesday is listed below with the remainder alternating between the churches. Watch this space each
week for the remainder of the Lenten season.
The following information was provided for Ash Wednesday services in the area:
Bowling Green
• Abiding Word Lutheran — 7 p.m. “Repent: Turn to Jesus and not to Yourself”
• Hope Lutheran — 7 p.m. Baptism and Temptation, “The Jordan River and the Wilderness”
• St. Aloysius — 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Masses, distribution of ashes services at noon, 5:30 p.m.
with a 7:15 p.m. for religious education students.
• St Thomas More — 7 a.m. Mass in chapel and 12:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. Masses at Bowen-Thompson
Student Union
Gibsonburg
• Joint service of three United Methodist area churches, Shiloh in Helena along with Faith and Trinity in
Gibsonburg — 7:30 p.m. at Faith UM
McComb
• St. John’s Lutheran — 5 p.m. Begins the series “Season of the Soul” with “A Season for Everything.”
Included is traditional distribution of ashes followed by a ceremonial washing of ashes.
North Baltimore
• Good Shepherd United Methodist — 7 p.m. Traditional sharing of shes in remembrance of our mortality as
well as an invitation to begin the observance of Lent.
• Holy Family Catholic Church —Noon NACBM Community Lenten Lunch
• St. Luke’s Lutheran — 7 p.m. Begins the series “Season of the Soul” with “A Season for Everything.”
Included is traditional distribution of ashes followed by a ceremonial washing of ashes.
Perrysburg
• St. Rose — Masses 7 and 9 a.m. Noon; Liturgy of Word with distribution of ashes; School Mass at 2 p.m.
and Masses 5:30 and 7 p.m.
• St. John XXIII — Mass 5 and 7 p.m.
Weston
• Grace Evangelical Lutheran — 7 p.m. Will begin the series “Repent: Turn to Jesus.” with “He Holds the
Key to Heaven.”
