We begin this holy season by acknowledging our need for repentance and for God's mercy. We are created to experience joy in communion with God, to love one another, and to live in harmony with creation... I invite you, therefore, to the discipline of Lent -- self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and works of love -- strengthened by the gifts of word and sacrament. Let us continue our journey through these forty days to the great Three Days of Jesus's death and resurrection.
- words from the Ash Wednesday liturgy
Join us for faith formation and worship opportunities during this holy Lenten season at St. Philip. There's something for everyone!
+ ASH WEDNESDAY +
February 17
Open Sanctuary for Personal Prayer and the Imposition of Ashes
8:00-10:00 AM and 2:00-4:00 PM
You are invited to drop by St. Philip during either of the above windows of time to receive the imposition of ashes from Pastor Josh Evans and/or stay for a few minutes of personal prayer and quiet reflection in the sanctuary. Face masks are required, and seating is arranged for physical distancing to ensure a safe environment for everyone. Bring a favorite devotional reading or your Bible if you wish to spend some time in Scripture.
Liturgy of Ash Wednesday
with Holy Communion and At-Home Imposition of Ashes/Earth
A full online traditional liturgy of Ash Wednesday with scripture, preaching, prayer, song, communion, and the imposition of ashes. If you wish to participate at home, you are invited to get a bit of soil from your yard or an indoor potted plant. You can also make your own ashes at home by burning your palm branches from last year's Palm Sunday or even a dried evergreen branch or wreath leftover from Christmas. It is recommend that you do any burning outdoors. You can then grind the ashes into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or just the back of a spoon in a small bowl. Combine the ashes with oil (do NOT use water!) to make a paste.
+ SUNDAYS IN LENT +
February 21 - March 28
Online Liturgy with Holy Communion
Outdoor Liturgy of Holy Communion (approx. 5 minutes)
10:30 AM (in the St. Philip parking lot)
Sunday Forum: Holy Solitude: A Spiritual Journey for Lent
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM on Zoom
***March 28 session canceled***
Stay tuned for daily devo videos on Facebook instead!
Join by computer/tablet/smartphone at this link or by phone at 312-626-6799 and enter meeting ID 872 5321 9022 when prompted.
Our faith is full of heroes who experienced God powerfully in solitude. Episcopal priest and writer Heidi Haverkamp offers their inspiring stories, thoughtful daily reflections, and practical spiritual disciplines to discover how time apart can open our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts to the still, small voice of God -- and transform us for a life of faith and service. In our pandemic and quarantine reality, the practice of solitude hits a bit differently than when Haverkamp wrote her book in 2017, but through an exploration of solitude in silence, struggle, journeys, hospitality, resistance, and confinement, together we might learn to appreciate this spiritual discipline in new, life-giving ways, even in our own time.
Buy the book online via Amazon Smile and support St. Philip as your charity of choice! (If the cost of the book is prohibitive, please let Pastor Josh Evans know, and we can provide you with a copy or scanned/photocopied pages.)
+ WEDNESDAYS IN LENT +
February 24 - March 24
Soup Supper To-Go
Each Wednesday during Lent (starting February 24 thru March 24), our marvelously talented St. Philip chefs will prepare two different kinds of soup. Look for a link in your e-news the Friday before each week to sign up for how many pints you and your family would like to order so we know how much soup to prepare. Soup can be picked up in pre-packaged carry-out containers on Wednesday afternoon from 4:00-5:00 PM at church. A donation of $4 per pint is suggested to help off-set the cost of ingredients and packaging.
NOTE: For the following events, please note the same Zoom information throughout. GLOW Fellowship and Formation, Evening Prayer, and GLOW Exploration will be held on the same Zoom call. You are welcome to participate in as much or as little of the evening as you are able.
GLOW Fellowship and Formation
6:15-6:50 PM on Zoom
Join by computer/tablet/smartphone at this link or by phone at 312-626-6799 and enter meeting ID 848 6795 0942 when prompted.
Set an extra place setting for your laptop, tablet, or phone and join your church family on Zoom to share our supper together during a time of fellowship! We will also share a brief devotion and discussion time for all ages using materials from Illustrated Ministry (yes, including a coloring sheet!). Stay tuned to your e-news for more information about how to reserve and pickup a Lent At Home kit with all the materials you'll need (and more!).
Service of Evening Prayer
Join by computer/tablet/smartphone at this link or by phone at 312-626-6799 and enter meeting ID 848 6795 0942 when prompted.
A contemplative service of evening prayer of scripture, song, silence, and prayer. The assembly is encouraged to gather on Zoom for the liturgy, which will also be simultaneously livestreamed to Facebook and YouTube.
GLOW Exploration
Book Study: One Coin Found:
How God's Love Stretches to the Margins by Emmy Kegler
7:30-8:30 PM on Zoom
Join by computer/tablet/smartphone at this link or by phone at 312-626-6799 and enter meeting ID 848 6795 0942 when prompted.
Lutheran pastor Emmy Kegler has a complicated relationship with the Bible. As a queer woman who grew up in the church, she knows too well how Scripture can be used to wound and exclude. And yet, the stories of Scripture continued to captivate her. So she set out to fall in love with the Bible, wrestling with the stories inside, where she met a God who continues to seek us out -- appearing again and again as a voice, a presence, and a promise. Kegler shows us that even when we feel like lost and dirty coins, God picks up a broom and sweeps every corner of creation to find us.
Buy the book online via Amazon Smile and support St. Philip as your charity of choice! (If the cost of the book is prohibitive, please let Pastor Josh Evans know, and we can provide you with a copy or scanned/photocopied pages.)