Lent 2026: SEEKING

Lent 2026: SEEKING

The Bible proclaims that we come from a long line of seekers. The season of Lent is 40 days (not including Sundays), a number that has been shaped by this history: Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai, seeking God’s commandments; the Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness, seeking the Promised Land; Elijah spent 40 days journeying to Mount Horeb, seeking God’s presence amidst fear and exhaustion; and Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, seeking to ground himself in God’s will before beginning his ministry.

Today, we enter our Lenten season at a time of communal wilderness, with many deep-seated questions, doubts, and uncertainties. During our 40 days of Lent, we are invited to slow down and join our ancestors in this journey toward God, trusting that God meets us and remains present in our seeking.

theme

Our theme for the Lent/Easter cycle is Seeking: Honest Questions for Deeper Faith. Each time we gather, we will explore a question that emerges from the text or activity. Like the characters in our Lenten scriptures, many of us are also seeking many things: connection, justice, clarity, balance, wonder. Throughout the turbulence of our present moment, many of us are asking big questions about our lives and our faith. We hope this theme will help us unpack some of these questions in ways that are honest and faithful. Throughout this season, we are invited to continually consider: what am I seeking? What is God seeking?

seeking return: Ash Wednesday, feb 18

We begin our journey toward the baptismal waters of Easter with a time to return to our God. We have a variety of ways to engage with Ash Wednesday at WPLC, and you can learn more here.

  • Ashes to Go (5-7 p.m. for walk-ins or 11 a.m.-5 p.m. by appointment): Pastor Jason or Vicar Sarah will be available for a short prayer and the imposition of ashes at the church at the designated times. Weather permitting, Ashes to Go will be in the outdoor Gathering Garden; otherwise it will be inside the narthex/entry vestibule. Look for the signage on Hoyne Avenue for directions. To make an appointment email pastor@wickerparklutheran.org.
  • Evening Service (7:30 p.m.): This service includes confession, imposition of ashes, and Communion.

seeking renewal: SUNDAY mornings

The lectionary for Year A offers many stories of Jesus encountering people who are seeking: Nicodemus comes to him in the veil of night, he approaches a Samaritan woman at a well, he heals a man born without sight. In these stories, each person is seeking a new beginning, a different life, a deeper faith. What unfolds is an exchange filled with questions and exploration. Often, an unveiling occurs—assumptions are disrupted, a new perspective is revealed, mystery grows.

And so, this Lenten series is founded on questions. Many of these weekly questions feel restorative (“Can these bones live?”). Some feel like a charge or challenge (“Who will you listen to?”). Some questions are hopeful and curious (“How do we begin again?”). Our questions won’t necessarily lead to absolute answers, but they can help us find clarity and a new perspective. Ultimately, we pray they lead to a new beginning, a restoration, a wider grace.

  • February 22 – Seeking: Who will you listen to?
    • Readings: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11
    • Seeking the fruit of the garden, Adam and Eve allow the snake’s manipulative voice to become louder than God’s voice. In the wilderness, Jesus defies the deception of the tempter by listening intuitively—to God, to his inner moral compass, to the teachings of his faith. And so, who will you listen to? What sources do you seek for news, information, and media? Whose voices—and what messages—take up too much space in your head? Within the onslaught of messaging we receive, we are invited to choose carefully.
  • March 1 – Seeking: How do we begin again?
    • Readings: Genesis 12:1-4a; John 3:1-17
    • Nicodemus comes to Jesus under the veil of night to ask him big faith questions. Jesus invites him to begin again, to learn a new way of knowing and living out his faith. In Genesis, God commands Abram and Sarai to leave everything—their home, their family, their land—to seek the land of Canaan and begin again. Like Nicodemus, what are the questions we ask in the dark? Like Abram and Sarai, how do we follow God’s calling to begin again?
  • March 8 – Seeking: Will you give me a drink?
    • Readings: Exodus 17:1-7; John 4:5-42
    • In the heat of midday, Jesus seeks out a Samaritan woman drawing water from a well. His command to her is also a question and an invitation into a new way of life: “Will you give me a drink?” This question creates a dialogue between them in which Jesus sees the woman fully; she leaves the well transformed. In the wilderness, the Israelites essentially ask: “Will you give us a drink, God? Will you take care of us, even now?” This week, we might imagine ourselves at the well or in the wilderness. Are we willing to care for our neighbors, seeking to not just quench thirst, but to find living waters that sustain us all?
  • March 15 – Seeking: Who sinned?
    • Reading: John 9:1-41
    • When Jesus and the disciples encounter a blind man along the way, the disciples immediately ask, “Teacher, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2). They ask a really bad question, filled with assumptions and harmful theology. Unfortunately, the crowd continues to interrogate the man and dissect the miracle of his healing. This week, let us pay attention to the questions we ask. What assumptions do we carry? What is our intent? When seeking clarity or understanding, what are better questions we can ask?
  • March 22 – Seeking: Can These Bones Live?
    • Readings: Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 11:1-45
    • In Ezekiel’s vision, God asks the prophet, “Can these bones live?” Do we believe new life can come after death? Can we find hope when things are bleak? Can we really trust in God’s resurrection? While we look to God to carry us through the valley, God looks to us to embody hope for others. As we prepare to enter Holy Week, we remember how Jesus began his final journey toward resurrection: by returning to Judea after the death of his dear friend, Lazarus. As we walk through the valley of dry bones that leads us to Calvary Hill, let us seek out the hope that will stir in us and sustain us.
  • March 29 (Palm/Passion Sunday) – Seeking: Where are you headed?
    • Reading: Matthew 21:1-11
    • Imagine you are in Jerusalem when Jesus enters on a donkey. Within the chaos and commotion of that scene, where are you and which way will you go? Will you follow Jesus all the way to the cross? Jesus’ willing surrender to his arrest should always catch us off-guard. As dismayed as the disciples, we ask, “Jesus, are you really headed this way, straight to your death?” Many of our weekly questions throughout the season so far have helped us prepare spiritually for Holy Week. Now we examine if our beliefs have changed our behaviors. Has your path changed? In the midst of opposing forces, which way will you go?

Seeking peace: midweek taizé services

We will gather to sing, pray, and quietly reflect on Scripture together at our two Lenten Midweek Taizé services. These 45-minute services will be a time for those seeking peace to be nourished, and will be available by Worship Livestream or in person.

  • Thursday, March 5 (7:30 p.m.)
  • Thursday, March 26 (7:30 p.m.)

Seeking justice: lenten project

WPLC embraces the Lenten discipline of giving our financial gifts to build up the body of Christ. This year we are seeking justice in our community by supporting LSSI’s Behavioral Health Services Program and Katie’s Closet at LSTC. Learn more about these organizations and how to donate here.

SEEKING EDUCATION: LSSI JUSTICE FIRST SUNDAY, MARCH 1

Join us on March 1 to learn more about Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) and their Behavioral Health Services program, which provides resources and support to unhoused neighbors and those struggling with mental illness and substance abuse. This 50-minute presentation and conversation will be held in the Fellowship Hall directly after our 10 a.m. service, following a brief time of fellowship.

Seeking healing: third sunday teaching (feb 22 & march 15)

Join us after the service for two more installments of our Third Sunday Teaching series “Reframing Historically Harmful Passages.” Learn more about our Third Sunday Teaching series here.

  • February 22: Women in Church Leadership
  • March 15: Biblical Violence, led by special guest Dr. Karri Alldredge from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC)

A SANCTIFIED ART

This Lent, WPLC is using the Seeking worship series from A Sanctified Art, a collective of artists, theologians, and pastors who create worship resources rooted in Scripture and creativity. You can learn more about this series here. We are grateful that their work provides an opportunity for our congregation to engage in the spiritual practice of seeking, and pray that these resources draw us more deeply into the fullness of life, community, and God.

Frequently asked Questions

Will services be offered on-site at the church? Yes! We continue gathering in a hybrid format, so join us online or in person.

What’s worship like at WPLC? You can learn a bit more about our worship style here, and can check out a service on our YouTube page.

Where can I learn more about WPLC? Check out our visitor information section.

I have another question. E-mail Pastor Jason at pastor@wickerparklutheran.org or leave a message at the church by calling 773-276-0263.