Knox Now…
Wilderness – Finding Yourself in the In-Between
A Podcast Series
with Richard
Life is full of wilderness moments—seasons of uncertainty, transition, and transformation where we find ourselves in between who we were and who we’re becoming. In this series, we explore what it means to navigate change, let go of what no longer serves us, and step into the unknown with courage, trusting that the wilderness isn’t just something to survive—but the place where we are remade.
The Moment Everything Changes – Episode 1
Life is full of moments when we realize we can’t stay where we are, but stepping into the unknown feels terrifying—so how do we take the first step?
To comment on the vodcasts, suggest upcoming topics, and check out the latest VODCASTS Click Here
What is LENT?
Have you ever wondered what people are talking about when they say they’re giving something up for Lent?
Lent is the 40 days (not including Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Easter. Lent is often described as a time of preparation and an opportunity to go deeper with God. This means that it’s a time for personal reflection that prepares people’s hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter.
What Are the Key Days During Lent?
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. You may have noticed people with a smudged, black cross on their foreheads. Those are ashes from the Ash Wednesday service. The ashes symbolize our grief for the things we’ve done wrong.
Maundy Thursday is the day before Good Friday. It commemorates the night before Jesus died, when He shared the Passover meal with His closest friends and followers.
Good Friday is the day Christians remember Jesus’ death. The “Good” reflects how Jesus’ death was a sacrifice on our behalf so we can receive God’s forgiveness for our wrongs, or sins.
Easter Sunday is the joyful celebration of Jesus rising from the dead to give us the opportunity of eternal life. While people still die, Jesus made the way for people to have a relationship with God in this life and to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
What Happens During Lent and Why?
The three main things people focus on during Lent are prayer, fasting (abstaining from something to reduce distractions and focus more on God) and giving, or charity.
Prayer during Lent focuses on our need for God’s forgiveness. It’s also about repenting (turning away from our sins) and receiving God’s mercy and love.
Fasting, or giving something up, is a very common practice during Lent. The idea is that giving up something that’s a regular part of life, like eating dessert or scrolling through Facebook, can be a reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice. That time can also be replaced with more time connecting with God.
Giving money or doing something good for others is a way to respond to God’s grace, generosity, and love. For example, some people spend time volunteering or donate the money they would normally use to buy something, like their morning coffee.
Jesus sacrificed Himself on Good Friday to bear the punishment for all our wrongdoings and offer us forgiveness. He was raised from the dead on Easter Sunday to give us an opportunity to have a relationship with God for eternity.
CHARITY CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT
This Sunday, March 9, 2025 Knox United Church warmly welcomes the
Max Luo and Sidney Hufton Duo Concert 2.0
Doors: 2:40 PM | Performance: 3:00 PM
Tickets at the door by donation
While music heals the soul, donating to the North Shore Women’s Centre furthers that healing, empowering women and gender-diverse individuals. Your support provides essential resources, advocacy, and programs for those in need. Every contribution makes a difference—join us in making an impact!
Please mark your calendar, and join us at 5590 Balaclava Street, Vancouver to hear this wonderful duo. Parking is available, off Balaclava St., at the rear of the Sanctuary.
Next Worship
March 23, 2025
at 10 am
Legacy of Fruitfulness
Reading: Luke 13: 1-9
with
Rev. Dr. Richard Chung
Lenten Sermon Series
Legacy: Living What We Leave Behind
Sermon Series : March 9 to April 20, 2025
with Rev Dr Richard Chung
As we move from Embracing the Shift into the season of Lent, the question naturally follows: What kind of legacy are we building? Lent is a time of reflection, surrender, and transformation—an invitation to let go of what no longer serves God’s purpose and embrace a new way of living. Jesus’ journey to the cross was not just about sacrifice; it was about shaping a lasting legacy of faith, love, and redemption.
This series invites us to explore how our choices, relationships, and faithfulness today shape the legacy we leave behind. As we journey through the texts of Lent, we will reflect on the kind of imprint Jesus left on the world and how we are called to do the same.
Lent & Easter Appeal
This year, Knox’s Lent & Easter Special Appeal will support Doctors without Borders / Medecins sans Frontieres Canada. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/
DWB / MSF works in locations of humanitarian crisis, such as Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo. They provide emergency medical humanitarian care to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. They provide assistance based on need, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, or political affiliation. They also speak out about the suffering witnessed while carrying out their work.
Please give generously during this holy season to support DWB / MSF in their work. More than 97% of this group’s good work comes from individual and private donors.
The Colour Purple
Why do we wear purple, and decorate our communion table and lecterns with this colour during Lent?
- The use of purple during Lent reminds us of:
- the Royalty of Christ,
- His passion and death for our sins,
- and the coming of spring (renewal).
The rarity of Purple in nature and the expense of creating its dye have given the colour a great deal of prestige. It is often associated with royalty, nobility, luxury, power, and ambition. Purple also represents meanings of wealth, extravagance, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and magic.
Anciently, the production of purple dye was a long and laborious task. The liquid used to create it came from a tiny Mediterranean Sea snail gland. Each snail produced only a single drop of the needed fluid. To produce one pound of dye, during ancient Roman Empire times, took the acquiring of four million molluscs.
Only a handful of people worldwide still use the ancient Phoenician technique to make purple dye from molluscs. The ancient dye costs $2,700 per gram and the whole process is terribly smelly! It is however still done today. If you would like to see wonderful photos of the snails and each step of the work or even potentially purchase a small box of the dye please check out Facebook page ‘Phoenician/Carthaginian Purple Dye’ .
In February 2021 Israeli Archaeologists Found the First Purple Fabric.
Daily Meditation
By Rev Dr Richard Chung
Read by Members of the Knox Congregation
The upcoming Daily Meditations for 2025 can be found HERE
PRINT Daily Meditations for the Week of March 16, 2025 to March 22, 2025
Easily catch up on or review the Daily Meditations any time. Share them with family and friends. Always find them in video, text or printable format…
Easter Symbols
Easter is a time that is both solemn and full of joy – and as such, it is also a time that is surrounded by different symbols that are seen almost any where you look this time of year. You can probably think of some of the most common right off the top of your head like eggs, baby bunnies and chicks; but have you thought about any of these lesser known symbols and where they come from?
Dogwood Trees – The Pacific Dogwood is British Columbia’s floral emblem as well as an important symbol for Easter. It was the wood of a Dogwood that was used to build the cross that Jesus was crucified on and many say that while Easter does not land on the same date each year, the Dogwood most commonly blooms closest to Easter.
Lilies – Lilies are commonly sent to those that are grieving but they are also symbolic of new life and purity. For Easter, white Lilies symbolize Jesus’s resurrection, and it is said that they grew around Jesus in his hours on the cross.
