Ash Wednesday Services

“I somehow came to religion in my teens. I came to my denomination in seminary after learning more about the Reformed tradition. Reformed theology emphasizes God’s initiative, which is consistent with my own experience. I can’t tell you that I ever really found God. It was God who found me, and kept finding me throughout…

“In this image, I have represented a woman spinning up out of a whirlpool, her face shining up at the sun. She rises above the ruins of ancient cities. Background motion spins up with the energy of the woman who represents the Holy Spirit, who represents the oppressed breaking free from the yoke, breaking ‘forth…

“If you hold a newborn in your arms,All at once you will understandThe crook of your elbowAnd the cup of your palmAs never before—Ordinary curves of the bodyTransformed into a resting space.You were designed for love.”— Excerpt from “Hold” by Rev. Sarah AreFrom the Again & Again poetry collection by @sanctifiedart

“God of yesterday and God of tomorrow, you gave us the gift of remembering so that we might learn from the past, practice gratitude, and remember who we are. In this Lenten season, help me to reflect and remember your story, my story, and the way the two connect. Amen.”—Prayer by Rev. Sarah Are |…

“In this image, God’s hands hold various animals and plant life, and are surrounded by the bands of the rainbow, shielding Creation from the swirling waters of chaotic destruction. I chose not to image humanity because the hands are at once God’s and ours. We must respond to God’s covenant by protecting and keeping the…

“I love borders. I place them in my artwork so that I can break them… The wheat grows beyond the border of life; the wheat brings forth a standard of daring love. ‘Those who love their life lose it’ (John 12:25). The wheat breaks the border, it dances with the voice of God, it is…