Good News! A Series for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter

This is part of the worship series, 
"Good News!”

Introduction
 Lent 1  | Lent 2 | Lent 3  | Lent 4
   Lent 5 | Palm Sunday | Good Friday | Easter Sunday

Series Introduction

To say that the spring of 2021 was a difficult time in the life of our church would be an understatement. As the province of Ontario faced lockdowns due to the coronavirus and stories of variants and delays in vaccine distribution made headlines, our congregation—like everyone else—was bombarded with bad news every day.

There was the inconvenience of masking and other safety protocols. There were questions about whether or not the government and medical establishment had been handling the crisis correctly. There was a feeling of isolation as people stayed in their homes and practiced social distancing. There was the loss of community and of livelihood for those whose jobs and businesses had been affected. There was unexpressed grief as many people who had lost a loved one hadn’t been able to have a funeral to mark the passing. And, of course, people were worried about what might happen if they contracted the virus themselves. This was in addition to all the regular stuff that we deal with as fallen human beings living in a world that is broken and tainted by sin at every turn.

In the midst of all of that it seemed important to preach on the good news of the gospel during Lent. It seems that the challenges persist, though they may look different from last year. If that is true for your congregation, you may find this series especially meaningful.

One of the highlights of this series was a feature we added to our services that we called the “Good News Café.” For five out of the seven Sundays in Lent we interviewed a church member, asking them these questions:

• When was a time in your life when you were waiting for good news?
• What was the news you received?
• How did the news you received affect your life and your relationship with God?

The answers varied, but they always focused on the goodness of God even in the midst of trials.

This series was made with significant input from Lauren Koersen, the worship director at Palmerston Christian Reformed Church and author of the readings for the Good Friday service.