Embracing Beauty
Lent 2022
Devotional Guide
Join the Wilshire family as we journey toward Easter using Vincent van Gogh and the Beauty of Lent. In this new devotional, the words of Scripture and the paintings of van Gogh will be our guides, and each entry includes powerful practices to try on your own or with others. Download the guide as a PDF at wilshirebc.org/lent or pick up a printed copy from the church office. The PDF has links to online images of the referenced paintings.
Wednesday study: Embracing Beauty with the Residents
Wednesdays, March 9, 23 & 30, April 13 at 6 p.m. • Parlor. Join Wilshire’s pastoral residents as they help us prepare our hearts for Holy Week. In each session, a resident will facilitate a spiritual practice and conversation using the paintings of van Gogh as inspiration. Postcard-sized prints of the paintings will be available to take home for further reflection. The residents will also expand from the weekly written meditations available through the Vincent van Gogh and the Beauty of Lent devotional guide. We will expand our imagination and practice embracing God’s beauty in this season of repentance and reflection.
Playlist
Wilshire has created an eclectic Lenten playlist on the streaming music service Spotify. The basic version of Spotify is free to use, and you can find a link to the Wilshire playlist at wilshirebc.org/lent.
Churchwide outing to Immersive van Gogh Exhibit
As part of our Lenten exploration of Vincent van Gogh, Wilshire will take a group outing to the Immersive van Gogh Exhibit at Lighthouse ArtSpace on Saturday, April 16. This cutting-edge digital experience utilizes animation and large-scale projections of the artist’s work, and has been called a completely new way of encountering art. The cost is $43 per adult ticket, and a bus will depart from the church at 2 p.m. for a 3 p.m. entry to the exhibit, which takes 60 to 90 minutes to enjoy. Reserve your spot at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Holy Week videos
A brief devotional video will be released each day of Holy Week on Wilshire’s YouTube channel and social media platforms.
Maundy Thursday service
April 14, 7:30 p.m. • Sanctuary. Featuring Sanctuary Choir’s presentation of “The Seven Last Words” by John Michael Trotta.
Easter Sunday, April 17
■ Sunrise Service, 6:30 a.m., T.P. Hill at White Rock Lake.
■ Worship in the Sanctuary, 9 and 11 a.m.
■ Service of Remembrance in the Columbarium, 10 a.m.
■ The Flowering Cross. Stop by anytime Easter Sunday and place flowers in the wire-framed cross outside the Sanctuary near Abrams Road.
Gagliardi book signing
Wilshire member George Gagliardi will hold a book signing on Sunday morning, March 13, from 9:45 a.m. to noon in the South Atrium. George, a musician and songwriter, describes his book, Some Hope for the Holidays, this way: “It’s a compilation of my reflections on Easter and Christmas from 25 years of holiday letters, written as my way of seeking to minister, in a creative way, during those special times of the year — containing poetry, lyrics, stories — in other words, a variety of, well, words.” Copies of the book will be available for $10.
CBF Ukrainian Relief Fund
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has established a relief fund in response to the crisis in Ukraine. Contributions will support the work of Village of Hope, a ministry operated by CBF field personnel in Kyiv, as well as disaster response efforts by the Baptist World Alliance. Visit cbf.net/ukraine.
Adventurers Movie Afternoon
The Wilshire Adventurers will enjoy an Afternoon at the Movies on Monday, March 14, at 1 p.m. in Community Hall. The featured movie is Going in Style (2017), and popcorn, shamrock cookies and drinks will be provided. Cost is $5 per person. There is no need to register. Adventurers events are open to those 60 and up.
Only a few spots remain for Adventurers Chicago trip
The Wilshire Adventurers will travel to Chicago, Grand Rapids and Mackinac Island on Sept. 1–8. The week-long trip will begin with three nights in downtown Chicago, a river cruise, a lake cruise and history and arts tours. The group will then travel to Grand Rapids to see the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum and Meijer Gardens before heading to Mackinac Island for three nights. Find details at wilshirebc.org/registration or in a brochure available in the main office. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis, with only 50 seats available.
No Wednesday activities March 16
There will be no evening activities at the church on March 16 due to Spring Break. That includes Music, Missions and More, Family Dinner, the resident-led Lenten study, Watershed and Sanctuary Choir. Koinonia Café To Go will operate, but will only offer the midday pickup time, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Health screenings March 17
Life Line Screening will be at Wilshire on Thursday, March 17, to offer five screenings: carotid artery; heart rhythm; abdominal aortic aneurysm; peripheral arterial disease (poor lower-body circulation); and osteoporosis. Flyers with more details are available in the main office. Make a reservation at http://llsa.social/HSC or call 1-888-653-6450. If you have questions, contact Parish Nurse Linda Garner at 214-452-3151 or lgarner@wilshirebc.org.
New to Wilshire?
- Coffee and Conversation with Senior Pastor George Mason will be held Sunday, March 20, at 10 a.m. This informal time in George’s study (Room 2203) gives guests and new members a chance to ask questions about Wilshire.
- The monthly Wilshire Welcome Class, which helps guests and new members learn what Wilshire is all about, will meet Sunday, March 27, at 10 a.m. in the Prayer Room (1100B).
- Questions about these events? Contact Carolyn Murray at cmurray@wilshirebc.org.
- Piano Affinity Group, March 27
The meeting of Wilshire’s Piano Affinity Group scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 27, has been postponed to Sunday, March 27, at 4 p.m. in McIver Chapel. To learn more about the group, contact Max Tucker at 214-215-3766.
Auction items sought for Youth Choir Spaghetti Lunch
The annual Youth Choir Spaghetti Lunch and Silent Auction will be held Sunday, April 10, in Community Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event will help fund the choir’s summer mission trip to Denver to sing, serve and sightsee. If you would like to donate items or services to the silent auction, contact Wendy Warden at wwarden@sbcglobal.net. Suggestions include gift cards to local restaurants, new household items and event tickets. Also, professional services make great donation items; if you are a musician, tutor, photographer, baker, designer, accountant or have some other professional service to provide, consider donating a gift certificate of your time or service.
Women of Wilshire book clubs
- The WOW! Tuesday Evening Book Club meets in the Parlor monthly at 6:30 p.m. On April 12, the group will discuss Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library. Zoom option by request. Contact: Debby Burton (dburton@wilshirebc.org).
- The WOW! Brown Bag Book Club meets one Thursday a month at noon in Room 1205-L. On April 7, the group will discuss Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. Contact: Abbey Adcox (aadcox@wilshirebc.org).
Koinonia Café To Go: One pickup time on March 16
Meals from Wilshire’s kitchen are offered for curbside pickup on Wednesdays. Since there are no evening activities at the church on March 16, we will only offer the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. pickup time. The evening pickup time and Family Dinner on-site dining in Community Hall will resume March 23.