During the Season of Lent this year, we’ll be thinking together about how we stand rooted in God’s love and justice at such a time as this. It is not the first time our faith is challenged by the world around us, or the first time  when God’s people have been called to stand up for justice; and it won’t be the last. Let’s learn from the brave ancestors of our faith about how we live and follow God in these times.

Lent Events & Worship at Oak Grove

Wednesday, 2/18:  6:30pm Ash Wednesday worship – choir sings (not live-streamed) Ash Wednesday bulletin
WoW Wednesdays 2/25, 3/4, 3/11, 3/25:  Dinner, 5:45pm, followed by children and youth education & Music, Scripture, poetry and prayer in the Sanctuary for adults  (Children and youth will join for Music, Scripture, Poetry & Prayer on March 4)
3/18 (after dinner) 6:15 – 7:15pm– intergenerational presentation from Tim Ternes on the St. John’s Illuminated Bible
Sunday, 3/29:  9 – 10:15am Palm Sunday Brunch;
10:30am Worship (live-streamed);
3 pm Peaceful March at the capital in St. Paul sponsored by ISAIAH/Faith in MN
Thursday, April 2: 6:00pm – Maundy Thursday soup supper and worship   (no choir; not live-streamed)
Friday, April 3: 7:00pm – Tennebrae Service – choir sings (live-streamed)
Saturday, April 4:  3:00pm – Easter Egg Hunt
Sunday, April 5, Easter:   6:45 am Sunrise service, Columbarium (not live-streamed);
8:15 Worship with orchestra and choir (not live-streamed);
10:30 am Worship with orchestra and choir (live-streamed)

Reading for Adults

We’re encouraging adults to read the devotional book For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional  by Hanna Reichel. Reichel teaches theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and studies how Christians respond to authoritarian political movements. The book is split into 28 short readings.  If you want to read the whole book, copies will be available for purchase at church for $18; or you can order your own copy from your preferred bookseller; and there will be a few copies we will keep at church for folks who might want to read a bit of it while they are in the church building. We hope that reading these devotions will add to the conversations we’re already having at Oak Grove!

Suggested reading schedule:
February 18–21: Chapters 1-3 (pages 9-22)
March 1-7:  Chapters 4-10 (pages 23-54)
March 8-14: Chapters 11-17 (pages 55-86)
March 15-21: Chapters 18-24 (pages 87-112)
March 22-28: Chapters 25-28 (pages 113-128)

Reading for Late Elementary & Younger Teens

For Such a Time as This might not be as accessible to younger teens and late elementary children.  We Can Be Brave: A Young Reader’s Edition by Marian Edgar Budde (adapted for young readers by Bryan Bliss) is a book to read as a family, covering similar themes. Stories of the Spirit of Justice by Jemar Tisby would also cover similar themes, with 40 short biographies of heroes of the struggle for Civil Rights in the US. There’s a companion book for young children called I Am the Spirit of Justice by Jemar Tisby. You can order these books from your favorite booksellers.

Adult Faith Formation

On Sundays, March 1, 8, and 15 at 9:00 a.m., Adult Faith Formation will spend some time digging into a few selected chapters of For Such a Time as This: An Emergency Devotional  by Hanna Reichel.

March 1: For Such Time As This, Chapters 2 and 7
March 8: For Such Time As This, Chapters 8 and 14
March 15: For Such A Time As This, Chapters 20 and 25

At Home Discussion Prompts

The following prompts are for at home discussion during Lent. These prompts don’t follow exactly with the readings, but will touch on similar themes: love and justice; care for our communities; resisting evil in the world; and how we keep ourselves nourished to do that work.

Feb 19 What are some of the things in the world that make you feel sad? God gives us permission to name these things and ask God why they are happening.

Feb 20 When you are sad, how does your body feel? When you are happy, how does your body feel?

Feb 23 What do you do to calm yourself down?

Feb 24 Has there ever been a time when you were scared to do something, but you got over your fear? What helped you?

Feb 25 Use your imagination to picture Jesus telling you not to be afraid. What does Jesus look like in your imagination as he says this?What is he doing?

Feb 26 What is a kind thing someone said to you this week? What is a kind thing you said to someone else this week?

Feb 27 What are the things you love about yourself? What are the things you imagine God loves about you?

Mar 2 What communities or groups of people are you a part of? Which do you feel the most connected to? Which do you wish you were more connected to?

Mar 3 What is a song that makes you feel joy? Extra credit: is there a song you know from church that makes you feel joy?

Mar 4 Is there a place or activity that helps you feel joy? What is it? How could make sure other people have access to that palace of activity?

Mar 5 If you could do one more thing to help other people what would it be?

Mar 6 If you realized you are getting tired, and you had to give up doing one thing you currently do to help other people, what would that one thing be?

Mar 9 Imagine Jesus asking you the question, “Who is your neighbor?” How would you answer?

Mar 10 Do you know your neighbors? Do you know their names? (next door, co-corkers, a clerk you see regularly at a store, crossing guard, etc.) Make a commitment to talk to one of these people this week.

Mar 11 If something changed in the lives of your friends or neighbors, what would be signs that they needed your help?

Mar 12 Who is your favorite group of people to be with? How does this group of people help you to understand what a community is?

Mar 13 What have you done to help people this week? What would you like to do to help people next week?

Mar 16 What is your favorite children’s book (or maybe a favorite memory from your childhood)? Why do you like that story? What does that story teach you?

Mar 17 If you’re an adult, what is one thing you’ve learned from children in your life? If you’re a child, what is one thing you’ve learned from an adult in your life?

Mar 18 What do you like about the society we live in? What do you think God likes about the society we live in?

Mar 19 What things about the society we live in do you think break God’s heart?

Mar 20 What are your gifts and privileges, or places where you have power and influence? How can you use this to help other people?

Mar 23 Have you ever changed your mind about something, big or little? What made that happen for you?

Mar 24 Think of some healthy relationships you have  with people you disagree with. What makes those relationships possible?

Mar 25 Who is a person who you trust to tell the truth? How can you tell that they are trustworthy?

Mar 26 Who are some of the people in your life who are the most important to you? How do you show them that you love them?

Mar 27 Is there a person who lived through a hard experience whom you admire? Tell their story, or learn more about them.

Mar 30 What makes you hopeful right now?

Mar 31 When have you felt brave? What helped you to feel brave?

April 1 Use your imagination to picture Jesus saying to you, “Follow me.” Where does Jesus want you to go?