A Lenten Reflection
Short Circles, YouTube, and More
Hello!
This week marks the halfway point through the season of Lent. This is a season of honest reflection, examining what it means to be human with all the highs and lows that come with the journey.
Growing up Lent was a season of Wednesday night church services. My dad was the pastor and so I often had an inside look at what went into each one, helping slide the numbers into the board to show the hymns for the service, filling in for a greeter to pass out bulletins at the door, or hearing the early drafts of whatever it is my dad was preparing to say.
Throughout elementary and middle school, I came to know this season as the one leading up to Easter. I never actually learned what the word “Lent” meant (though I have looked it up since then) but it was just one of those things you do, a cyclical season of the church that invites us to lean into the story of Jesus and the events of Holy Week.
I’ve been leaning in to Lent in new ways this season, specifically making videos and facilitating spaces on Zoom where we can all engage this season online. I think this all stems from my childhood experiences where I had a regular rhythm that invited me to experience this holy and mysterious season. And so I’m still trying to do the same, making videos where I light candles, go running, and more. (Next week I’ll be piloting a new idea — 3 Minute Church!)
All this to say, I want you to step into this season intentionally rather than accidentally. If you haven’t already, watch the videos (below). And if you are able, join us tonight (Wednesday, March 11) at 7:00 pm ET for our next Short Circle Lent Experience.
This is a season that invites us to remember and reclaim what it means to be human.
Rev. Jim Keat
Minister of Digital Worship & Education
I Gave Up 5mph for Lent (And It Changed How I Drive Through Life)
Running Through Lent (coming Sunday, March 15)
The Word Made Fresh
Pilate asks the question that still echoes today: “What is truth?”
But this isn’t a philosophical debate. It’s a moment of decision. Pilate has power. He knows what’s happening. He could stop it. And yet… he doesn’t.
This week, Rev. Adriene Thorne and I sit with this haunting text and ask:
What happens when power refuses to see the truth?
Why do we look away when we know what’s right?
Are we really so different from Pilate… or Peter?
Slowing down the story forces us to face something uncomfortable: sometimes harm happens not because we don’t know better — but because we don’t want to lose what we have.
Join us as we wrestle with John 18, power, privilege, and the cost of telling the truth.
Coming Sooooooon!
This month brings so many ways to connect and engage with Riverside online! Here’s a list of some of the ways that you can join us:
Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00 pm ET: Lent Short Circle
Saturday, March 14 at 8:30 am ET: Lent Book Group
Sunday, March 15 at 9:00 am ET: Fresh Start
Sunday, March 15 at 9:30 am ET: Open Bible Study with Crystal Hammon
Sunday, March 15 at 10:30 am ET: Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday, March 15 (after worship): Virtual Coffee Hour
You made it!
Tank tops in March? That was my life last week! I was away with my wife and our kids, escaping the cold and celebrating our youngest’s fourth birthday (already?!) and drinking lots of orange juice (and smoothies and iced coffee).
I hope you all had a great week. I’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to! Leave a comment or send me an email and share something from your week!