“From Pain to Possibility” Series 2022

“From Pain to Possibility” Series Overview
Pain presents perplexing questions.  What does pain mean?  How will I survive?  What do I do with it?  The good news is God can help us in our pain.  Lent is a season of spiritual reflection that invites us to tend our longing for healing, restoration, and fulfillment.  Although Lent is traditionally a time to give up something, our series for Lent this year encourages us to give in and make meaning from our woundedness.  Pain is not something that needs a quick fix.  It calls us to acknowledge both our wounds and the wounds of others for the sake of healing and peace.

March 2 – Ash Wednesday
IN PARCHED PLACES (Isaiah 58:1-12): Each year Christians gather on Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of Lent.  We mark this day by marking ourselves with ashes.  As we do this, we know that we do it in preparation for Easter.  We might ask ourselves why we do it.  Is there something God wants from us?  Is there something we want from God? How might we mark Lent accordingly?

March 6 – Lent 1
SURRENDERING TO PAIN: In our pain, God meets us at our point of need and invites us to be free from the tyranny of death and suffering.  It becomes an occasion for renewal and rebirth.  In John 3:1-8, Jesus tells Nicodemus that new birth shows us the kingdom of God.  How does your pain deepen your compassion?

March 13 – Lent 2
GIVING VOICE TO PAIN: Speaking out about grief and pain are challenging endeavors. They are also how we communicate to God and the world what is going on.  In Exodus 1:8-14; 2:23-25; 3:7-10, the Lord hears the cry of the Israelites and calls Moses to lead them to the promised land.  Naming pain is a step to healing.  What pain would you give voice to?

March 20 – Lent 3
MAKING A SCAPEGOAT: Sometimes we blame innocent people.  A scapegoat becomes a convenient diversion from real problems.  In Luke 23:1-12, Jesus becomes a scapegoat for Pilate, Herod, and various rival factions.  Who are the scapegoats today?

March 27 – Lent 4
THE POSSIBILITY OF WOUNDS: To build the strength of muscles, they first must be broken down.  Pain can be a source of growth or a festering reminder of loss or trauma.  In Psalm 137, the poet agonizes over a national catastrophe and expresses rage.  How can brokenness lead to greater strength?

April 3 – Lent 5
SITTING WITH THE WOUNDED: Shame prevents us from living with confidence.  However, when we acknowledge the judgments we internalize, we find healing at a common table.  In Genesis 3:6-10, Adam and Eve hide from God.  How can table fellowship overcome shame?

April 10 – Palm Sunday
FROM EMPTY TO OVERFLOWING: Our cup overflows because Jesus emptied his cup. In John 12:12-19, Jesus Triumphantly enters into the city overflowing with support. Soon after Jesus’s word called upon the Psalmist explaining the grief of suffering like that of Psalm 22. It is in that suffering that God shows the lengths at which they will go to know us. What does it mean for God to know us in this way?

April 14 – Maundy Thursday
LAMB OF GOD: In Exodus 12:1-14, the Lord tells the people how the blood of a lamb will lead to freedom.