Aurora's Flowing Forth UMC offers 'Ashes to go,' virtual community service, Lent-in-a-box kit
Ash Wednesday, which falls on Feb. 17, is the official beginning of the season of Lent. Typically, Christians gather on this day in a service of penitence and reflection during which they impose ashes on each other's foreheads in the shape of the cross.
Flowing Forth United Methodist Church in Aurora is among ministry leaders and ecumenical organizations employing creative ways to celebrate Ash Wednesday 2021.
On Tuesday, Feb. 16, Flowing Forth UMC will livestream a fourth annual Fat Tuesday worship from 7:30 to 8 p.m. on the church's YouTube channel.
On Wednesday, Feb. 17, Rev. Derek Rogers, Flowing Forth senior pastor, will impose ashes during a drive-through service from 5 to 7 p.m. in the west parking lot at Aurora Christian School, 2255 Sullivan Road in Aurora. The public is invited.
At 7 p.m., five Aurora-area United Methodist churches will co-sponsor a virtual community Ash Wednesday service on the church website, Facebook and YouTube. Participants will include pastors and lay people from Flowing Forth UMC, Wesley UMC and Bethany of Fox Valley UMC, all in Aurora; Sugar Grove UMC and Kaneville UMC. A freewill offering will benefit Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry.
Additionally, Flowing Forth UMC has developed a Lent-in-a-Box set of resources for families and households to use over the five weeks of Lent.
This includes "Soul Reset: A Small Group Journey to Wholeness," a book by Junius Dotson calling for congregants to reset and reorder their lives around spiritual practices. Small-group studies based on the book will be led by volunteers beginning Feb. 23-24 on Zoom and an in-person group which will get underway Feb. 25. Video segments will feature Dotson.
Other kit contents include a Bible reading plan, information about Ash Wednesday worship and ashes with burlap squares with instructions to mix ashes with oil and apply to the burlap square.
Volunteers will deliver the kits to congregants' homes. In November, volunteers delivered 50 Advent-in-a-box kits to congregants' homes.
Pastor Rogers announced his Lenten sermon series will be "Soul Reset." It will begin Feb. 21 with "Honesty: How is it with Your Soul?" and followed on Feb. 28 by "Empathy: Feel the Feelings."
The series continues on March 7 with "Priority: It's Not All on Me," "Vitality: Take Care of Yourself" on March 14, and "Vulnerability: Tell Somebody" on March 21. It concludes with "Reality: Light & Free Living" on March 28.
Flowing Forth offers recorded worship services on demand at the church website, flowingforthumc.org, and on YouTube or Facebook on Sundays at 10 a.m. Call (630) 239-2321 or (815) 955-2129 for more information.