Ash Wednesday falls on Valentines Day, February 14th in 2018. Easter is on April 1st- no fooling - so it's quiet the Lenten season. My invitation to you for 2018 is to "swim upstream". Don't be so conformed to the culture that you miss this day of to start out your lenten journey.
Celebrate Valentine's Day early this year on "Fat Tuesday"/Mardi Gras- Tuesday February 13. The restaurants won't be as crowded, babysitters should be available and this will free you to enter into this season of Lent- marked. When marked with the cross of ashes you will be reminded that there is a LOVE that isn't wrapped in chocolate, signified by red roses and for which there is no Hallmark card. This LOVE will never, ever let you go.
The 40 days of Lent are a time to reconnect and recommit to this relationship we have with God through Jesus. Fasting, prayers, charitable giving- not our common everyday way to spend 40 days- so let's swim upstream together. Please consider joining in this swim on Wednesday February 14 at 7pm as we share in a holy time of hearing God's word, being marked by the cross and sharing in the meal that heals. And do you have friends and neighbors you can invite? Consider how God is inviting and calling you to love your neighbor as yourself. So let's dive in this Wednesday February 14, 2018.