(written by Christina Embree on behalf of the Asbury Theological Seminary Staff Council; reposted from the Asbury Seminary website) I’ll never forget my first experience with Lent. I grew up in a home where we didn’t really celebrate Lent. I had never experienced an Ash Wednesday service and had no idea that entire swaths of Christendom…
Epworth will celebrate Ash Wednesday on February 26th, with a brief service at 7:00 pm. Ash Wednesday is an ancient tradition of the Christian Church, likely dating back to the 1st or 2nd century, but not formally recognized until the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. Of course, the growth in recognition of…
Epworth had its beginning on Superbowl Sunday, 1999. As a result, we consider Superbowl Sunday as our unofficial anniversary. This year it was also Groundhog Day and Candlemas, which is also known as the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord. Forty days after His birth, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple for…
The day after Thanksgiving yields a joy of three parts. The first joy is that of an introvert newly restored to peace and quiet after the raucous hubbub of last night’s family dinner. The second is the simple pleasure of pie for breakfast. The third joy is the renewal of my annual re-reading of The…
On Sunday, January 5th, Epworth celebrated the revealing of the Messiah to the world, which is generally associated with the arrival of the 3 wise men, or Jesus’ baptism. Not only did the service remind the congregation of these events, and their importance to us today, but immediately following the service was a lunch,…
By Greg Goebel Almost everyone seems to feel the letdown after Christmas Day. After six weeks of singing Christmas carols, shopping, and partying, it all comes to a grinding halt at 8:30 am on Christmas morning. Another year till next Christmas. And as much as people complain about commercialization and hectic holidays, etc., we still…
One of the glories of the Advent experience at Epworth is our annual service of Advent Lessons and Carols. This candlelight service which was held on Sunday, December 8th, included scripture lessons and hymns that lead us from the Old Testament prophets to the birth of Christ. This service is one way in which we…
Below is the proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln that established a national day of Thanksgiving. Prior to this, each state scheduled its own Thanksgiving holiday at different times, mainly in New England and other Northern states. The Thanksgiving proclamation established a national “day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the…
Several Epworthies participated in this year’s Rake Up Boise effort on Saturday, November 9th. The weather was perfect for raking! We met at the church and ate doughnuts to carbo-load before getting a few hours of exercise. Like most years, Epworth signed up for two homes. The residents were very grateful for the help. Some…
As we prepare to celebrate All Saints Day on Sunday, perhaps some of you have wondered at some point: What’s it all about, anyway? The following may prove helpful: Every December, the secular, cultural celebration of Christmas overshadows the religious holiday on which it is based. Essentially the same thing happens at the end of…