First Lutheran Church

At some point in every Christian’s life, they discover a question. 

You know the kind.

Not How are you? or What kind of toothpaste should I buy?

But What really happens when we die?

Or Why does this terrible stuff happen to people who do their best to follow God?

Or How could God forgive me after what I’ve done?

Or How do I know what God wants me to do next?

You know. That kind of question.

In my experience, people often feel isolated when they discover that type of question, as if they are the only ones asking it. For whatever reason, questions like this often feel like obstacles to our faith. They may feel forbidden, out-of-bounds. In the Bible, we read about characters like Job and Nicodemus asking questions that sound like ours, only to hear what sounds like a very touchy response from God.

But what if faith requires us to ask questions?

What if questions are an essential part of our personal faith? 

What if we need questions to survive and grow as a community of faith?

You want to go there, don’t you? You want to believe that dialogue with God, relationship with God, requires questions. 

Well, guess what? You’re in good company.

Justin Kosec (“Ask Introduction to Series and Guide”  © 2023 by Barn Geese Worship. Used by permission of Barn Geese Worship.)

This Lent, we are living into the questions. Using materials from The Barn Geese’s series Ask, we will dive deeply into the questions we find in the week’s Bible readings, ask one another questions of our own, and unpack the gifts that questions can be for our faith lives.

Lenten Midweek Vespers

At 7pm on Wednesdays March 1, 15, 22, and 29th, we will share an online midweek service with our siblings in Christ at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Woburn. These simple services will offer time for prayer, singing, contemplation, and conversation about the questions of our faith.

*On March 8th, we will join Redeemer for a forum on Christian-Muslim Dialogue

Adult Education: Ask

After worship on Sunday mornings in March, we’ll gather at the Parish House at 11am for adult education. During that time we’ll immerse ourselves in Bible stories that ask big questions, and offer up our own questions, as well. If you have a question about God, the Bible, church, faith, or the universe, this is a great time to ask it! We don’t promise to provide answers, but we look forward to exploring these questions together and seeing where they lead us.

A Note from Pastor Emily:

We often approach Lent as a season for penitence and self-reflection, sometimes using the practice of fasting, or “giving something up for Lent.” Others add a spiritual practice for the season. Both of these are good and holy approaches; however, they do not work for all people. Fasting in particular can be harmful for those with complicated relationships with food and their bodies. Consider this permission to find another way to commemorate Lent this year: to pray the Lord’s Prayer every day, to remember your baptism whenever you shower or wash your face, or any other practice that brings you closer to God.