Lent
Lent is a sacred journey—a season of reflection, resistance, and radical love. As we move through the wilderness, we hold onto the promise that love is our home, and God’s fierce love is leading us back to ourselves and each other.
Walk with us through this season with worship, deep conversation, and justice-rooted gatherings that nourish our souls and fuel our fight for a better world.
Wherever you are on the journey, you are not alone.
Love is calling us home.
Check out all Middle has to offer this Lenten season.
Wisdom for the Wilderness: A Forty-Day Spiritual Journey
Many people give something up during Lent, but this year, we invite you to pick up a practice with us.
Read our 40-day devotional, Wisdom for the Wilderness, and join the conversation on Circle (our community platform) as we prepare for Holy Week.
Together, we’ll reflect on what it means to return home after a season of displacement.
Consider with us:
🔸 What are we learning from this wilderness? What gifts has it given us?
🔸 What do we yearn for in a home—what does home mean to us now?
🔸 How do we care for home? What does home need from us?
Lenten Small Groups
Join our Lenten small groups with Rev. Dr. Jacqui and Jillian.
On March 31, we’ll reflect on what the wilderness is teaching us.
Then on April 14, we’ll gather again to dream aloud—what do you long for in our new home at Middle Church?
Come check in. Come journey. Come belong.
Holy Week
Holy Week is not just a story we remember—it’s a truth we live. It is the path of love defying empire, of justice standing against oppression, of hope refusing to die. From the wilderness of grief and struggle to the promise of resurrection, this week calls us deeper into the story of a God who walks with us, weeps with us, and rises with us.
For Middle Church, this year’s Holy Week is especially sacred. After a long journey in the wilderness—after fire and loss, after exile and uncertainty—we are coming home to love. The road has been long, but the promise has never wavered: Love always rises. And so do we.
Come, journey with us. Let’s rise together.
Palm Sunday | April 13th
We’ve been on a long road—through fire, through loss, through the wilderness. But this Palm Sunday, we’re taking a step closer to home.
Join us online for a special sneak peek inside our sanctuary! You’ll get a first look at what we’ve been building, how worship will take shape in our new space, and what’s still to come as we prepare for the big day when we gather in person again.
If you’ve been wondering what we’ve been working on, this is your chance to see it. Come worship with us, celebrate this next step, and remember:
Love is still marching. Justice is still rising. And healing is possible.
Maundy Thursday | April 17th
On the night before he was taken, Jesus gathered his friends for a meal—a moment of love, of memory, of connection before the storm. This Maundy Thursday, we gather differently but in the same spirit.
Join us for the live premiere of Dance is Holy, that tells the story of communion, sacrifice, and love through movement. We’ll watch together, reflect on what it means to show up for each other, and hold space for the ways we are still being called to the table.
Grab a friend. Pull up a chair. Share a meal while you watch.
Good Friday | April 18th
The cross was meant to silence. To break. To end. But we know that love doesn’t die that easily.
On this Good Friday, we gather to bear witness to suffering—the suffering of Jesus, the suffering of our world, and the ways empire still tries to crush truth. Through music, storytelling, and deep reflection, we hold space for grief and look toward what’s coming.
We sit in the sorrow—but we do not sit alone.
Holy Saturday | April 19th
Holy Saturday is the liminal space—the moment after the worst has happened, but before we know how the story will end. It is the waiting. The stillness. The unknown. The grief.
Join us online for a quiet, sacred vigil, a time of prayer and reflection as we hold onto hope together. Light a candle, take a deep breath, and wait with us.
Past Events
Ash Wednesday
This Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. You can receive ashes from Middle clergy at Stonewall from 8:00–10:00 AM or at Middle (corner of 2nd Ave & 7th St) from 12:00–1:00 PM.
If you’re not in town, join Middle clergy online for Pray to Rise at 8:00 AM on Zoom as we observe Ash Wednesday together. Wherever you are, let’s begin this sacred season in community.
Art & Film
This Lent, join us for two powerful film screenings that explore justice, resistance, and the power of community.
Mississippi Turning – A powerful documentary by Genesis Be that dives into the fight for racial justice in Mississippi, challenging the legacy of white supremacy and illuminating the courage of those working for change. This screening will feature a conversation with Aunjanue Ellis, Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, and more.
Keepers of the Flame – This compelling documentary explores the untold stories of civil rights leaders who have carried the torch of justice across generations. Join us for a screening and discussion with the film’s directors and producers as we reflect on the past, present, and future of the movement.
Come witness these stories, engage in deep conversation, and be inspired to keep fighting for a just world. Stay tuned for dates and details!
Justice & Organizing
At Middle, justice is a movement. This Lent, join us for two powerful opportunities to learn, strategize, and resist together.
Fierce Urgency of Now Learning Cohort – March 5th
A national gathering of clergy, activists, and thought leaders preparing for the Fierce Urgency of Now Conference (Oct. 31–Nov. 2). Meets monthly on the first Wednesday, 1:00–2:00 PM ET, with focused cohorts on spiritual formation, worship, justice, and digital ministry.
Integrating Into a Burning House: Conversations for Survival – March 18th
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis and Rev. Natalie Renee Perkins lead a candid conversation on the challenges of racial integration in a society still ablaze with bigotry. How do we resist, survive, and build a future beyond the fires of injustice?
Time: 7:00–8:30 PM ET | Location: Zoom
Target: Fast for Gaza – Ongoing
Join us for Target: Fast for Gaza, a global, interfaith call to action. For 40 days, no target—we’re fasting in solidarity with Palestinians, calling for an end to violence, and refusing to turn away. Let’s stand together in love and justice.
Time: Ongoing | Location: TargetFast.org
Children Youth & Families
At Middle, we create joyful, justice-centered spaces for kids, youth, and families to grow in faith and community. This Lent, join us for these special gatherings:
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
Celebrate Shrove Tuesday with a delicious pancake supper at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery. Enjoy games, music, and food for all ages! Co-sponsored by St. Mark’s Church, Middle Church, and Trinity Lower East Side.
Date: Tuesday, March 4 | Time: 5:30–7:30 PM | Location: St. Mark’s Church, NYC
Middle Church Trampoline Takeover
An afternoon of high-flying fun at UrbanAir Trampoline Park in Brooklyn! Middle Church Youth staff will chaperone participants to and from the park.
Date: Saturday, March 22 | Time: 1:00–5:00 PM | Cost: $10 donation