Please look for our 2026 Lenten calendar, 40 Days of Lent in the Name of Jesus, in the worship handouts on Sunday, February 15th. The Lenten calendar is also available for download by clicking on LENT 2026. The Lenten calendar is provided to you by the volunteer librarians of The Louise McDaniel Memorial Library.

The season of Lent spans a 40-day period beginning on Ash Wednesday (February 18th) and ending the Saturday (April 4th) before Easter. Now, if you’re astute about the calendar, you realize that there are more than 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter! So why is Lent considered 40 days? It’s because the six Sundays that occur during this time don’t count. (That’s why you may hear a reference to the Sundays IN Lent, rather than the Sundays OF Lent.)

Forty also is a very significant number in the Bible. For instance, Scripture tells us that Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness struggling with temptation. Before the flood mentioned in Genesis, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years.

What is also significant is that most personal trainers, psychologists and coaches will tell you that it takes between 30 and 40 days (give or take a few) to “re-train” yourself in a new habit. So if you decide to eat healthier, or start exercising, or commit to any new habit/routine, it takes somewhere around 40 days to really get that routine ingrained in your life. That means when we commit to a spiritual habit for 40 days, we may actually be able to integrate that into our minds in a meaningful and significant way.

Source: ResourceUMC.org

Are you searching for something more? Tired of running in circles, but not really living life with direction, purpose or passion? It’s pretty easy to get caught up in the drama of classes, relationships, family, and work. Our lives are filled with distractions that take us away from living a life with Christ. We try to fill the emptiness inside us with mindless activities, meaningless chatter, stimulants, alcohol, too many activities or other irrelevant stuff. We run away from life and from God.

Lent is a great time to “repent” — to return to God and refocus our lives to be more in line with Jesus. It’s a 40-day trial run in changing your lifestyle and letting God change your heart. You might try one of these practices for Lent:

• FASTING: You can fast by cutting out things in your life that distract you from God. Some Christians use the whole 40 days to fast from candy, TV, soft drinks, or something else as a way to purify their bodies and lives. You might skip one meal a day and use that time to pray instead. Or you can give up some activity like worry or reality TV to spend time outside enjoying God’s creation. What do you need to let go of or “fast” from in order to focus on God? How can you simplify your life in terms of what you eat, wear or do?
• SERVICE: Some Christians take something on for Christ. You can collect food for the needy, volunteer once a week to tutor children, or work for reform and justice in your community. You can commit to help a different stranger, coworker or friend everyday of Lent. Serving others is one way we serve God.
• PRAYER: Christians also use Lent as a time of intentional prayer. Pray while you walk, create music or art as a prayer to God, or savor a time of quiet listening. All can be ways of becoming more in tune with God.
  

How will you use your time to grow closer to God?

Source: ResourceUMC.org

Everyone is invited to participate in Lenten study, based on the book Taste and See by Margaret Feinberg, beginning Sunday, February 22nd. The study, led by Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles, will meet on Sundays, February 22nd through March 29th, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.

Taste and See will be a different type of Lenten study – it will be one about feasting and “discovering God among butchers, bakers, and fresh food makers.” We will discuss where we can find God and that we are all invited to “Taste and See” that God is good. We will also sample some of the dishes that the author discusses!

The cost of the class is $20 is per person to cover the cost of the book and food samples. Childcare will be available by request. To register and for more information, please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128

10. Try an electronic fast. Give up TV, social media, texting, tweeting, email and all things electronic for one day every week. Use the time to read and pray.

9. Start a prayer rhythm. Each day of Lent, pray for another person.

8. Go deeper. Take an online course as a part of your Lenten discipline.

7. Forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it (maybe even yourself). Study a book on forgiveness, such as Forgiveness, the Passionate Journey: Nine Steps of Forgiving through Jesus’ Beatitudes by Flora Slosson Wuellner.

6. Give up soft drinks, fast food, tea or coffee. Give the money you save to help folks in your community or in a different part of the world who are in crisis.

5. Create a daily quiet time. Spend 10 minutes a day in silence and prayer. Read a daily devotional for the season of Lent. See how it can help you add spiritual practice to your daily life beyond Lent.

4. Cultivate a life of gratitude. Write someone a thank-you letter each week, and be aware of how many people have helped you along the way. Learn more about the spiritual practice of gratitude.

3. Visit Sight Psalms (www.upperroom.org/sight_psalms) and spend time in visual meditation and prayer.

2. Volunteer one hour or more each week with a local shelter, community food bank, tutoring program, nursing home, or ministry in your church or community.

1. Pray for others you see as you walk to and from classes or drive to and from work.

Source: ResourceUMC.org

Make plans to join us for a Good Friday service on Friday, April 3rd, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Our Good Friday service will include a Passion narrative with musical reflections. It will be a contemplative service offering an opportunity for deep and personal prayer. 

It is a wonderful service to bring a neighbor or a friend. Childcare, for ages newborn through Pre-Kindergarten, will be available in Childcare Corner during the worship service. The service will be live-streamed on the Duluth First UMC Worship channel on YouTube.

7:00 a.m. Sunrise Service with Communion
Join us Easter morning at 7:00 a.m. in front of the main entrance to the Sanctuary for our Easter Sunrise Service with Communion. This service includes singing, prayers, devotion, and Holy Communion. The 7:00 a.m. Sunrise service will be live-streamed on the Duluth First UMC Worship channel on YouTube.

PLEASE NOTE: We will not be holding our 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship service on Easter morning. Please make plans to join us at the 7:00 Sunrise Service and/or at either of the 11:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship or Traditional Worship services.

11:00 Contemporary Worship Service
The worship band, technical team, prayer team and pastor will be energized and ready to join with you in the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The 11:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship service in Hinton Hall, located in the Sheldon Family Life Center, will be live-streamed on the Duluth First UMC Contemporary Worship page on Facebook.

11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Service
At the Traditional Worship service in the Sanctuary, the music will be as glorious as the day deserves with the choir lifting praises to God, ending with our annual Easter acclamation, Handel’s Hallelujah! The 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship service will be live-streamed on the Duluth First UMC Worship channel on YouTube.

PLEASE NOTE:  Childcare, for ages newborn through Pre-Kindergarten, will be available in Childcare Corner for all worship services, and during the 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday School hour.