Lent/Easter 2026
EASTER 2026
“Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here; for he has been raised…”
(Matthew 27:5-6)
Each gospel has an account of Jesus’ resurrection. Matthew’s version is quite dramatic: an earthquake, the stone is rolled away from the tomb, and an angel in brilliant white light addresses the women. The natural forces of both heaven and earth come together to announce the amazing news that Jesus is alive once again.
We yearn for that same dramatic announcement in our lives today. This Lenten season, we have searched for God in the darkness that surrounds us. Now we meet God in the bright light of Easter Sunday. This is the foundation of our faith, for death in all its forms is not the final answer. New life, and the transformation it brings, is offered to all by the risen Christ.
I am excited by the new life we witness on a daily basis here at Santa Monica First UMC. We offer multiple worship services to connect with God and one another. We provide opportunities to deepen our faith through small group studies, spiritual retreats, and mission trips for all ages. Our music program and preschool reach beyond the walls of the church to the wider community, and we continue to meet the needs of our neighbors through our giving and volunteer efforts.
We have a full schedule of opportunities to experience new life spiritually. Please see the list below for Holy Week and special events. I also invite you to respond this Easter season by making a special gift that reflects our gratitude and joy. This Easter offering will support all of our efforts to share the good news of life in Christ.
I look forward once again to proclaiming together as a community of faith these words of hope on Easter morning: “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Greg Batson
HOLY WEEK 2026:
Sunday, MARCH 29: Palm Sunday
10 a.m. Sanctuary, and livestream
The day we celebrate Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, with the waving of palms and loud Hosannas!
Sunday, MARCH 29: Palm Sunday Celebration
Brunch/Easter Bunny/Egg Hunt
Following worship, come for a Palm Sunday celebration, hosted by Children and Family Ministries. Featuring an Easter Egg hunt, brunch, games and crafts, a family photo opp, and a visit from the Easter Bunny! Fun for all ages!
Thursday, APRIL 2: Maundy Thursday Service
6:30 p.m. First UMC Chapel
Command to Love One Another: Remembering Jesus’ Last Supper and Washing the Disciples Feet
Good Friday, APRIL 3: Chapel Prayer Vigil
The First UMC Chapel will be open for prayer.
1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Chapel
Good Friday, APRIL 3: Walk the First UMC Labyrinth
The Labyrinth laid in the Simkins Hall floor of First UMC is a replica of the Chartres Labyrinth laid in the cathedral around 1220 CE. Walking the Labyrinth is an ancient spiritual practice, a way to quiet our minds and open our spirits to the presence of the Holy. Every step a prayer.
1 p.m. – 7 p.m. in Simkins Hall
– Join Ross Chitwood of Community UMC for a special musical performance of Taizé music during Labyrinth hours, from 6 – 7 p.m. in Simkins Hall
Good Friday, APRIL 3: Good Friday Ecumenical Service at First UMC Santa Monica
Join Rev. Greg Batson, the First UMC Choir, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, and First Presbyterian Church for an ecumenical Good Friday service in the First UMC Sanctuary.
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Sanctuary
Easter Worship Services, April 5
APRIL 5: Easter Sunrise Service
6:30 a.m. Palisades Park
Palisades Park (Santa Monica Blvd. & Ocean Ave.)
Family-friendly worship, Holy Communion, hot coffee & fellowship. Bring blankets, chairs, & fresh flowers for the cross.
APRIL 5: Easter Celebration Worship
10 a.m. In-Person and Online Worship in the First UMC Sanctuary
Family Service, Choir, Organ, Brass Quintet, Easter Flowers, and Alleluias!
(nursery care provided for infants and toddlers in the Fireside Room)
It seems like only yesterday that we celebrated Christmas and Epiphany, but now we begin the season of Lent. Lent is the 40-day period (not including Sundays), beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending with the celebration of Easter. This is the season for repentance and spiritual reflection. Our theme this year is “God in the Darkness and Light.”
Our art work for this year’s Lenten Devotional reflects our search for God in the darkness while catching a glimmer of the first light of dawn. Our hope is to find God in both the most challenging and most joyful times of our lives. Through worship, meditation on the scriptures, and spiritual reflection, we invite you to undertake this journey of faith.
There are a number of opportunities to observe a holy and meaningful Lent this month. There will be two Ash Wednesday services (12 noon & 7 p.m.) on February 18 in the chapel as we focus on repentance and recognize our mortality before God with the imposition of ashes. The Labyrinth will also be open that day for personal meditation and reflection. Pastor Keri and Bill Buxton begin a five-week Lenten Study entitled Imago Dei: Lectio Divina Study on February 22, for in-person study in the Fireside Room, and February 23 online via Zoom. I will introduce a new informal worship opportunity in Simkins Hall on Sunday, February 22, at 5 p.m. in Simkins Hall, including the sharing of Holy Communion. There are also opportunities to serve our community by volunteering for the Westside Food Bank, the People Concern, or giving blood through the American Red Cross Blood Drive on March 1.
We look forward to sharing this sacred time together.
-Pastor Greg
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent – a time of introspection and self-examination of our lives and relationship with God. The ritual of the ashes represent a visual reminder of the day as we pause to remember our physical limits in contrast to the infinity of God. Here at First UMC, we offer two Ash Wednesday services in the Chapel (in-person only). We invite you to this intimate and reflective service that marks the beginning of the Lenten season.
February 18, 12 p.m. & 7 p.m., in the Chapel
Ash Wednesday Brunch
Prior to the Ash Wednesday 12 p.m. noon service, all are welcome to an Ash Wednesday Brunch in the Fireside Room for food and fellowship together as we begin the Lenten season.
February 18, 10:30 a.m. in the Fireside Room
Ash Wednesday: Walk the Labyrinth
The First UMC Labyrinth extends hours for walking from 12:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. in Simkins Hall on Ash Wednesday.
Lenten Study – Imago Dei: Lectio Divina Study
Through Scriptural reflection and sharing, Rev. Keri Olsen Paget and Bill Buxton invite you to identify the Imago Dei (Image of God) in yourself and to perceive that same sacred image in others. We will explore our own socio-cultural identities and reflect on when and how we engage others who hold different identities. We hope this prayerful and Scriptural study will assist our ability to worship, work and live in harmony with diverse persons because everyone is of sacred-worth. *Childcare is available. To sign up, or if you have questions, please email Rev. Keri at k.olsenpaget@santamonicaumc.org.
- Rev. Keri will facilitate a group on Sunday mornings from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the Fireside Room. In person meeting dates: Feb 22, March 1, 8, 15, 22.
- Bill Buxton will facilitate a group on Zoom on Monday evenings from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Feb 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23.
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/99130945843?pwd=eFliTHFUZ3JuVG1sUm5VdkxJZGRJQT09
Meeting ID: 991 3094 5843
Passcode: 976304
First Meetings: February 22, in-person; February 23 via Zoom
REFLECT WORSHIP
On Sunday, February 22, Pastor Greg will introduce a new worship service called “Reflect.” This will be an additional opportunity to come together for worship and sharing in an informal setting. We will gather in Simkins Hall at 5 p.m. The service will include a time of prayer and sharing, scripture and reflection, and conclude with Holy Communion. At 6 p.m., you are invited to stay and share in a meal in conjunction with our youth as they gather for their weekly program. This is open to all, and we invite you to join us for this new opportunity during Lent.
Sunday, March 22, 5 p.m. worship in Simkins Hall, followed by 6 p.m. meal.
Lenten Devotional Booklet
The Spiritual Formation Council invites you to read your Lenten Devotional online and in print. Printed copies will be available Sunday, February 15, at church and in the church office, and daily emails begin on Ash Wednesday. The devotional is written by the First UMC congregation and provides a wonderful opportunity to share Lent with family and friends.
To sign up for the daily emails, CLICK HERE
Art in the Fireside Room
During Lent, an exhibit in the Fireside Room will reflect the Lenten theme God in Darkness and Light. Each piece features a Psalm reading accompanied by mostly black-and-white artwork from various eras, inviting contemplation alongside the Psalm.
Opens Sunday, February 15, in the Fireside Room
From the UMC: What is Lent and why does it last forty days?
Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, meaning “lengthen” and refers to the lengthening days of spring. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by new converts and then became a time of penance by all Christians. Today, Christians focus on relationship with God, growing as disciples and extending ourselves, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of ourselves for others.
Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a “mini-Easter.” This is why you will see the designation “Sunday in Lent” rather than “Sunday of Lent” in the naming of these Sundays. On each Lord’s Day in Lent, while Lenten fasts continue, the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.