In the Christian tradition, some time is set aside as sacred time; time when we live differently, time that is hallowed, time that is offered to God for unique activity. We set aside the Lord’s Day each week as a day of special remembrance and worship. There are annual observances such as Christmas and Easter. There are special seasons like Advent and Lent.
Lent is a season of the Christian Year where Christians focus on simple living, prayer, and fasting in order to grow closer to God. The season of Lent is forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by new converts and then became a time of penance by all Christians. Today, Christians focus on relationship with God, growing as disciples and extending ourselves, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of ourselves for others.
Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a “mini-Easter.” This is why you will see the designation “Sunday in Lent” rather than “Sunday of Lent” in the naming of these Sundays. On each Lord’s Day in Lent, while Lenten fasts continue, the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection. For this devotional, we have provided you a devotional for the forty days of Lent, the Sundays in Lent, as well as one from Easter.
Holy Week Services
Just like there are special seasons, there are special weeks such as Holy Week. The week from Palm Sunday to Easter is a week set aside for us to remember and relive the most important week in human history, the week that changed lives and created the Christian community. We remember the last week of Jesus. From his entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, through his Last Supper with the disciples, into his death and burial, and his glorious resurrection from the tomb, we remember and relive. The Christian community observes the Sacred Triduum: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday. In the darkness of the night between Holy Saturday and Easter, Jesus Christ is raised from the dead. The tomb was empty at sunrise.
Holy Week presents and interprets Jesus Christ to the world. Holy Week worship touches all the senses. We see the descent of darkness and the return of the Light. We feel the agony of Christ. The smell of candles lingers in the air. We pray with Jesus in the garden. The silence of death touches us. We watch the darkness be overcome by light. We hear the sad and glorious words again describing the events that changed the world.
Pastor Jeff would like to invite you to join him in setting aside our special week and allow God to make it a holy experience. Block out these days and make them unusual. Let the way you observe this week be a witness to the world. Allow the Holy Spirit to do a new work. Let the sights and sounds of our worship services translate the life of Christ into our lives. Let the days that changed the world change your life.
Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025
8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Chapel
9:45 a.m. Contemporary Worship in the Fellowship Hall
11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
5:30 p.m. Vespers in the Chapel
Thursday, April 17, 2025
7:30 p.m. Maundy Thursday Service in the Sanctuary
Friday, April 18, 2025
7:30 p.m. Good Friday Service in the Sanctuary
Saturday, April 19, 2025
7:30 p.m. Holy Saturday Service in the Sanctuary
Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025
7:00 a.m. Sunrise Service at the Columbarium
7:30 a.m. TV Service on WGHP FOX8
8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Chapel
9:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship in the Fellowship Hall
11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
Easter LilY memorials and tributes
Every Easter, we adorn our spiritual home with Easter lilies in loving memory of those who have passed away, and in thanksgiving for special people in our lives. To place an order in remembrance or celebration of a loved one, kindly reach out to Isabel at 336-812-4808 or icruzvalencia@wesleymemorial.org before April 11. Each lily is priced at $26. Memorials will be printed in the Easter service bulletin.
Help us adorn flower crosses for easter
As we celebrate the joy of Easter, we invite you to help bring new life to our crosses by adorning them with fresh flowers. Crosses, covered in chicken wire and palm branches, will be placed outside the Sanctuary and near the Bridge Café entrance.
🌸 How to Participate:
We encourage members and friends of Wesley Memorial to bring flowers from your garden or store-bought blooms to decorate the crosses, beginning Saturday, April 19, 2025. If you prefer to drop off flowers to be placed for you, please email Melody.
📸 Easter Sunday Photo Gift:
As a special gift to you, a photo station will be set up by the flowered crosses after both the 9:30 AM & 11 AM services. A professional photographer will capture your Easter family portraits, and each family will receive a free digital image and a 4x6 print.
Let’s celebrate the resurrection together with this beautiful Easter tradition!
