lent - a season of renewal

Grace, mercy and peace to each of you. Sometimes in life we move so fast that we never say hello. Sometimes we make life boring because we make it smaller than it is. Lent, this season of reflection, meditation, and penance, is a good time to take a closer look and get in touch with the deeper parts of ourselves in the Spirit of God. We invite you to join on Sundays at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. for Lenten Worship as we seek to understand the incredible sacrifice of God’s own son for the sake of the world.

holy week

Maundy Thursday Service

All are welcome to Maundy Thursday “Soup Service” and Communion on Thursday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. We will worship around the table together, focusing on hymns and a shared conversation about the scriptures.


Maundy Thursday is an alternate name for Holy Thursday, the first of the three days of solemn remembrance of the events leading up to and immediately following the crucifixion of Jesus. The English word “Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum, which means “commandment.” As recorded in John’s gospel, on his last night before his betrayal and arrest, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and then gave them a new commandment to love one another as he had loved them (John 13:34). This is why services on this night generally include the washing of feet or other acts of physical care as an integral part of the celebration. While John’s gospel does not record the institution of the Lord’s Supper among the events of this night, the other gospels do. Christians therefore keep this night with celebrations both at the basin (footwashing) and at the Lord’s Table (Holy Communion).



Good Friday Service

All are invited to Good Friday Service on April 19 at 7:00 p.m. Where did Good Friday get its name? The source of our term for the Friday before Easter, “Good Friday,” is not clear. It may be a corruption of the English phrase “God’s Friday,” according to Professor Laurence Hull Stookey in Calendar: Christ’s Time for the Church (p. 96). It is the common name for the day among English- and Dutch-speaking people. It is a day that proclaims God’s purpose of loving and redeeming the world through the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is a day that is good because God was drawing the world to God’s self in Christ. As seen in John’s gospel, particularly, God was in control. God was not making the best of a bad situation, but was working out God’s intention for the world — winning salvation for all people. We call it “good” because we look backward at the crucifixion through the lens of Easter!



April 21 is Easter Sunday!

Come for Worship Services, Brunch, and Easter Egg Hunt! Worship at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. There will be an Easter Egg Hunt after Brunch (around 10:00 a.m.) At the 10:30 a.m. Children’s Time, we will celebrate the Easter story and enjoy Lamb Cake.


And why not come for brunch?

All are invited for Easter Brunch in Fellowship Hall on Sunday, April 21 at 9:30 a.m. Open to all with no reservations required. If possible, please RSVP to the church office at HUMC@hinsdaleumc.com so food can be planned accordingly. A free will offering will be taken.