Did you know that the date of Easter is determined as the first Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon, or the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox? This was established back in 325 A.D. at the Council of Nicaea, so if you’ve ever wondered why Easter can fall on such a wide range of dates – specifically from March 22 to April 25 – that’s why and when it was established. As you might expect with such an equation, outer limits are rarely achieved. The latest possible date for Easter, April 25, last occurred in 1943, and the next time will be 2038. The earliest possible date for Easter, March 22, hasn’t happened since 1818 and won’t again until 2285. I’m thinking about all that because part of me is shocked we are already on the verge of Lent – which takes its starting date, Ash Wednesday, based on Easter – while another part of me recognizes this year’s Lent and Easter are actually quite late, with the latter falling on April 20, just five days shy of the latest possible. I am very excited to step into the season of Lent with First Bonita. Our worship series for the season is called Making Room, through which we’ll explore what our discipleship calls us to around the traditional fasting – giving stuff up – of Lent. But fasting not simply as self-denial, fasting as a discipline that considers the question: What might God be calling us to give up, and what might that make room for in our lives? To begin our season together, we’ll have a special service this coming week on Ash Wednesday, March 5. The service will be unique, probably unlike what many of you have experienced before (though it’s an idea I was introduced to by First Bonita’s history, so some of you may be familiar). We’re calling it an “Open House” worship experience, because it is primarily self-led within the resources provided. Specifically, the sanctuary will be open from 5 to 7 in the evening on Ash Wednesday. You are welcome to arrive or depart at any point during those hours. While there, you will be provided guided prayers, will be invited to receive the imposition of ashes and communion, and have the opportunity to share a prayer with the church in multiple ways. First, unique prayer cards will be available, and any submitted during this service will be lifted up throughout the season of Lent by First Bonita’s prayer team. And second, members of that prayer team will be present throughout the service and available to pray with you if you’d like. Our goal is to have a unique, powerful, and accessible worship experience on this special day. Each of the offerings – imposition of ashes, communion, prayer submission, and prayer with another – are optional. Some of you may only spend a few moments, some the bulk of the two hours. There is no wrong answer, no wrong experience; you are simply invited to be present with one another and God as we enter this season of Lent. I pray that it will be a rich and fruitful experience for all and hope you will come and be a part of worship with us this coming Ash Wednesday, March 5, at some point between 5 and 7 pm. And I hope to see you before then, this Sunday morning. Grace and Peace -Ben | 
