Lent and Easter at First & Franklin
Ash Wednesday Services
Wednesday 5 March
12:00 Noon - Reid Chapel
6:00p - Sanctuary
Our Ash Wednesday services will include the imposition of ashes and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, symbolizing our need for God's grace and our desire to draw closer to God. All are welcome to experience the grace and renewal that Ash Wednesday offers. Begin your Lenten journey by attending one of these services.
Lenten Sermon Series
Sundays at 10:30a + Maundy Thursday at 6p
Each one of us needs an encounter with Jesus! Jesus interacted with all kinds of people - rich, poor, young, and old. Jesus knows and cares for us all, and no one is beyond his love and compassion. His encounters with the people of His day are also our stories.
9 Mar - The Samaritan Woman
16 Mar - Zacchaeus
23 Mar - Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
30 Mar - The Man Born Blind
6 Apr - Mary, Sister of Martha and Lazarus
13 Apr - The Fig Tree (Palm Sunday)
17 Apr - Judas Iscariot (Maundy Thursday)
20 Apr - Mary Magdalene (Easter Sunday)
Mid-Week Lenten Services
Wednesdays at 6p | Reid Chapel
As part of our Lenten journey this year, we offer a 30-minute worship service in the intimate space of Reid Chapel. This spiritual oasis in the middle of the week will include music, a brief meditation, and the celebration of the Lord's Supper. The weekly meditations will be based on various Psalms as found in the Old Testament.
5 Mar - Repentance (Psalm 51) - Ash Wednesday (12p/6p)
12 Mar - Paths to God (Psalm 25)
19 Mar - The Face of God (Psalm 27)
26 Mar - Blessing (Psalm 63)
2 Apr - Tables (Psalm 23)
9 Apr - Waiting (Psalm 130)
Mid-Week Lenten Study
Wednesdays at 7p | In-Person and Online
We will use the book Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginner's Guide to Holy Week by professor and biblical scholar Amy Jill Levine. From Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem to his prayerful agony in Gethsemane, Levine brings forward aspects and details that open doors for both beginners and season readers of the Bible. She sets the narrative in a historical context and analyzes the risks and motives of the story's characters. Copies of the book will be avaialble for $5 from Rev. Mark Phililps (mphillips@firstfranklin.org).
Palm Sunday
Sunday 13 Apr | 10:30a | Sanctuary
Featuring the procession of palms
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Maundy Thusday
Thursday 17 Apr | 6p | Reid Chapel
with communion
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Good Friday
Friday 18 Apr
12 Noon - Reid Chapel
Simple Meditative Service
7p | Service of Tenebrae |Sanctuary
This ancient service features music and scripture, telling the Passion of Jesus Christ. As we move through the service, the candles in the room are gradually extinguished, leaving us in a darkened room to contemplate the events of Holy Week. Sung by the Sanctuary Choir, music from across the ages - Medieval chant to contemporary settings of traditional texts - will be offered.
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Easter Sunday
Sunday 20 Apr | Sanctuary
10:10a - Preludes with Brass and Organ
10:30a - Festival Service with Choir, Brass, Timpani, and Organ
UPCOMING EVENTS
IN LENT & EASTER 2025