This Sunday’s… Interview Sermon?!?!

This Sunday, February 21, we will start a new sermon series called, “A Healthy Immune System for Life.” To kick off the series, Pastor Anthony will be joined this Sunday with a special guest, Dr. Matthew Smith, an Infectious Diseases Physician. Pastor Anthony has never done an “Interview Sermon” before, but is excited to welcome Dr. Matt who will share with us about his work and faith. He also has quite a bit of knowledge about the coronavirus and our response, so collect your questions and we’ll do our best to receive and ask them on Sunday!

The Season of Lent

“Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday [this year on Wed., Feb. 17] and ends on Holy Saturday [this year on Apr. 3]. Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lencten, which means “spring.” The season is a preparation for celebrating Easter. Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time for penance by all Christians. The first Sunday [traditionally] describes Jesus’ temptation by Satan; and the Sixth Sunday (Passion/Palm Sunday), Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his subsequent passion and death. Because Sundays are always little Easters, the penitential spirit of Lent should be tempered with joyful expectation of the Resurrection.” (Quoted from The United Methodist Book of Worship, 2000, p. 320.)

Here at Desert Mission, you will notice that our colors will change to purple; we will use Psalm 23, instead of the Lord’s Prayer on Sundays; and we will also recognize a fast from “Halleluiahs” and “Alleluias,” an old tradition Pastor Anthony preserves to heighten the joy of Easter when we see them return.