Lent: Making Room

January 30, 2026
Jane Kinzer
Worship

From Giving Up to Making Room

Lent has often been a time when we think about “giving something up” – a holdover from its penitential flavor in the medieval church. But what if we thought less about “giving up” and more about “making room”? During the season of Lent this year, we will find out what it really costs to be so busy.

Let us reconnect to an unhurried God.

We live in a world stuck on fast forward—speed dialing, speed reading, even speed dating. Ourculture often tells us that being “busy” is a sign of worth. Yet during Lent, we are reminded that God does not ask us to perform or earn love through constant productivity. God invites us to slow down.

This season calls us to reconnect—with God, with one another, and with ourselves. Adults and children alike feel the weight of overfilled schedules, often at the expense of rest, creativity, and reflection. Lent offers a chance to pause, to let go of what weighs us down, and to listen for God’s voice.

As part of this journey, consider creating a “time-out prayer chair”—a quiet space for stillness, prayer, and deep breathing.In the silence, be present. Be aware of yourself. Be aware of God.

SERVICES

Ash Wednesday February 18, at 6:30pm

“Busy” Matthew 6:1-6

Worship with us on Sundays: 8:50 & 11am Live Stream at 11

First Sunday of Lent February 22, “The Right Tempo” Matthew 11:28-30

Second Sunday of Lent March 1 “Preparing Table” Psalm 23

Third Sunday of Lent March 8 “Tuning In” Luke 10:38-42

Fourth Sunday of Lent March 15 “Living Light” Luke 12:29-34

Fifth Sunday of Lent March 22 ” A time for Every Matter” Ecclessiates 3:1-14

PALM SUNDAY MARCH 29 8:50 & 11AM

The commandment to keep the sabbath is one that might not seem as important as the one about not murdering. But, as we give witness yet again to the story of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem—proclaiming justice for the oppressed—we must also proclaim justice and peace …and rest…for the weary of this world.

HOLY THURSDAY APRIL 2 6:30PM

At the Last Supper, Jesus was doing and saying things that he knew would be his last. How would we spend our time if we knew there was not much of it left?

This Holy Week worship experience will make space for guided conversation and stories, food and reflection—a time of naming and claiming the most important things of life.