Dear Members and Friends of the United Methodist Church of Merrick,
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Risen Christ!
With the coming of Transfiguration Sunday, the season of Lent will soon be upon us. The season of Lent spans 40 weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday, climaxing during Holy Week and concluding Saturday before Easter. Originating in the fourth century of the church, it was the time allotted for preparation for those who were to be baptized on Easter Sunday. The prospective members were expected to devote that time for study, prayer, and fasting. And since these new members were to be received into a living community of faith, the whole community was called to prepare by doing the same. This was also the time when those who drifted off from the Church would prepare to rejoin the faith community.
Merrick United Methodist Church community will start off the season of Lent with a celebration on Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday). We will then start of series of worship on Wednesday evenings starting on Ash Wednesday at Seaford United Methodist Church. We will be celebrating the season of Lent with other local church communities who together form the Body of Christ (schedule included on Breaking News page). No church can be an island onto itself and remain a part of the Body of Christ, just as an individual cannot remain a part of the Body of Christ without a faith community. If you have drifted off from the Church, Lent is an ideal time to rejoin a faith community, because each one of us is a vital part of the Body of Christ.
As the congregation of Merrick UMC and I walk and live the Christian path together in this journey of life, we invite you to join us in this journey.
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Akio Iyoda
