This article has two styles of Lenten bulletin inserts, one using clipart, one with a modified photo.Each PDF has two images per 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet. Use the back side to include invitations to events, websites or verses for additional study or a place for a prayer list for your people to use for friends to invite to Easter events. You can click each image to download the PDF.
Here’s why you might want to use these with your congregation—
Olympic athletes don’t win a medal without years of discipline and practice. It takes training, practice, sweat, and tears to be worthy of the gold. Military leadership comes from years of progressing through the ranks. Combat experience is an essential requirement for the highest officers. A CEO isn’t selected from the latest hires in a company. Sometimes ugly years of deals and compromise proceed the position of president of a corporation.
We’d judge an athlete, a soldier, or a corporate leader a cheat if that person tried to avoid the essential struggles necessary to reach a position worth of admiration. Struggle before the success is the expected pattern in almost every part of life, almost every part, except for the Christian life. Somehow there is the mistaken notion in some Christian circles that coming to Jesus means an endless supply of ease and freedom from all troubles. To be fair, the eternal destiny of those who trust Jesus as Savior is salvation from judgment and condemnation, and nothing is more freeing than that reality.
Jesus said that in this world we would have troubles. He repeatedly told his followers that the same troubles he experienced—rejection, misunderstanding, ultimately torture and death, were to be expected for his disciples. All the writers of the New Testament were itinerant preachers, who lived poorly, were mistreated, rejected, mocked and most died a martyr’s death.
Resurrection followed three days in the tomb.
Lent reminds us of the essential reality that before we can truly experience joy, we must experience testing and trials. As the Apostle Peter reminds us;
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, . . . . In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:3-7
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Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13
Lent puts helps us to put the Christian life into biblical perspective.
Observing Lent isn’t about a denomination, or whether your church is liturgical or not. It’s a time to practice saying “no” to ourselves in little things so we can say a bigger “yes” to God in the bigger decisions of life.
The PDFs are for any church. You can use them as bulletin inserts with perhaps some addition verses on the back side or invitations or reminders about your Easter schedule.
Remind people to think of others at this time.
Easter is a great time to get people to come to church and to consider issues of life, death, resurrection and to consider Jesus. As your people prepare for Easter through Lent, challenge them to also make it a time to pray for unchurched friends. Encourage them to pray that their friends will be open to an invitation to come to church, to look at a website, to consider the Christian faith.
Easter is coming.
Don’t forget the end of the story. Don’t ever get so engrossed in the reminders of deprivation during Lent that you forget that tears are temporary and the end of the story is joy eternal!
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