02/18/2026
Tonight begins the Hopewell Council of Churches' Wednesday Evening Lenten Services at Hopewell United Methodist Church for Ash Wednesday. The service begins at 7:30 p.m. Our Lenten theme is "Division and Unity." Tonight's speaker is Rev. Larry Benton of Second Calvary Baptist Church in Hopewell.
Here is a letter from the Hopewell Council of Churches regarding our Lenten gatherings this year:
Dear friends and neighbors of our Hopewell community,
Tomorrow begins the season of Lent with the commemoration of Ash Wednesday. The word “Lent” is derived from an Old Germanic word meaning “the lengthening of days; the gradual movement from the long dark nights of winter to the lengthening light of springtime.” In the Christian tradition, Lent is a period of spiritual reflection and preparation for the resurrection of Jesus. It is a time marked by “giving up” a superfluous luxury (such as “giving up chocolate or ice cream for Lent”) and by acts of kindness and charity.
Every year, the Hopewell Council of Churches invites the broader Hopewell community to a series of Wednesday evening services for prayer, song, and reflection on a designated Lenten theme appropriate to the current time. Each church hosts a single Wednesday evening during the six weeks of Lent, and, in the spirit of unity and faith, the pastors exchange pulpits, each speaking at a church other than their own. This year, we have included Chubby’s restaurant as one of our gathering spaces because of our partnership with The Chubby’s Project. Each service is preceded by a simple meal of soup and bread (6:30 p.m.) to which everyone is invited.
This year, our theme is “Divisiveness and Unity.”
In the spirit of unity, the Hopewell Council of Churches’ clergy and laity affirm Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to “give up for Lent” the divisive and abusive language that hurts, offends, and marginalizes others. The text of Pope Leo’s invitation reads:
“… I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgment, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media, and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.”
We invite you to join us in this Lenten endeavor and to gather with us on Wednesday evenings over the next six weeks to affirm and support one another.
We invite all of our Hopewell neighbors, regardless of tradition or perspective, to join us in a season of reflection, “intentional neighboring,” forgiveness, reconciliation, and community building as we move from darkness to a season of light.
In the spirit of unity and kindness,
Clergy and laity of the Hopewell Council of Churches
