Ash Wednesday February 18th 2026 MCC Lehigh Valley Worship Service

God calls people out of hiding to seek the Spirit, to set aside idols of busyness, and to join heart and prayer in divine direction. Worship centers on generosity, stewardship, and practical ministry needs while the community affirms a purpose to worship and serve God through acts of justice and compassion. Confession names the tendency to surrender to doubt and fear, to cling to the tombs of anxiety and despair, and to walk in shadows rather than in God’s light. Prayer lifts up protection amidst storms, care for workers on the road, and a desire for the Lenten season to draw people closer to God.

A dramatic imagination places a person inside a comfortable cave—complete with fast Wi‑Fi, streaming, snacks, and predictability—representing the temptation to remain hidden. That voice lists real barriers to emerging: fear of rejection, experiences of family and religious condemnation, mental health challenges, and the safety of the known. The cave also admits small movements toward life—stepping to the mouth of the cave, noticing the brightness, and recognizing the need for resurrection and unbinding.

The narrative names obedience not as conformity to groups but as allegiance to God’s call. The choice to follow God remains costly and risky; it can threaten relationships and even personal safety. Yet resurrection promises liberation: God unbinds, sets people loose for love, peace, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. The response combines gratitude, stumbling attempts to live newly, and a commitment to come out despite fears and imperfections.

Practical invitations thread through worship: children receive blessing, midweek prayer and study groups invite formation, and stewardship moves the community toward faithful giving. The liturgy moves from confession into assurance of forgiveness, from lament into hope, and from personal hesitation into the communal work of serving God in justice and compassion. Ultimately, the call centers on being unbound—leaving the cave, accepting vulnerability, and living a resurrected life that acts for others rather than hiding for self-preservation.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God calls from hiding into life God’s call interrupts comfort and predictability, insisting that spiritual life requires stepping into exposure and risk. Emerging does not promise immediate safety or applause; it offers the possibility of resurrection amid uncertainty. Choosing life means naming fears honestly while trusting that God’s presence accompanies the unsteady first steps. [07:06]
• 2. Obedience belongs to God's call Obedience functions as a directed loyalty, not as submission to community pressure or social control. True obedience aligns will with God’s purposes and often demands costly distinctions from cultural expectations. This obedience frees moral imagination to pursue justice and mercy rather than merely avoid shame. [44:41]
• 3. Fear and doubt mask resurrection Doubt and anxiety create spiritual tombs that feel convincing and permanent, yet they are often rehearsed defenses, not final realities. Confession exposes these shadows so resurrection can meet them at the boundaries of the cave. Transformation unfolds when vulnerability displaces performance and trust displaces despair. [10:46]
• 4. Unbinding frees for love and mercy Resurrection work first unbinds, then sends into relationships and service rather than into isolated triumph. Liberation becomes evidence when lives reorient toward forgiveness, peace, and tangible compassion. The unbound life accepts ongoing imperfection while committing to acts that embody grace. [52:59]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [02:47] - Online and In-Person Greetings
• [03:12] - Generosity as Spiritual Practice
• [03:30] - Stewardship Giving Promises
• [04:01] - Membership Information Session
• [04:26] - Midweek Prayer and Study
• [05:15] - Purpose Statement & Peace
• [07:06] - Call to Worship
• [10:46] - Unison Confession
• [12:57] - Lenten Prayer and Storms
• [18:42] - Children’s Blessing
• [33:14] - The Cave Imagination Begins
• [40:20] - Stepping to the Cave Mouth
• [44:41] - Obedience to God’s Call
• [52:59] - Unbinding and Resurrection

Based on the sermon transcript, the primary biblical text is the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11:1-44. This narrative forms the foundation for the "cave" imagination and the themes of being called out, unbound, and set free for a new life.

Bible Reading
John 11:38-44 (ESV)
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Observation questions

1. According to the passage, what were the physical and emotional obstacles to Lazarus coming out of the tomb?
2. What specific actions did Jesus command others to do in this story, both before and after Lazarus emerged?
3. In the sermon's dramatic imagination [33:14], what were some of the modern comforts and excuses listed for why someone would want to stay in their "cave"?
4. What does Jesus ultimately tell the people to do with Lazarus once he has come out of the tomb?

Interpretation questions

1. Why might the idea of "unbinding" someone be just as important a part of the miracle as calling them out of the tomb? What does this suggest about the nature of resurrection life?
2. The sermon reimagined the cave as a place of modern comfort and safety [33:14]. In what ways can predictability, entertainment, and avoiding risk become a spiritual "tomb" that keeps us from truly living?
3. The voice in the cave listed real fears like rejection, family condemnation, and mental health challenges [36:02]. How do these legitimate struggles function as "grave cloths" that can bind a person even after they have heard Jesus' call?
4. The sermon defined obedience not as conformity to groups but as "allegiance to God’s call" [44:41]. How does this definition change our understanding of what it means to obey God?

Application questions

1. What does your personal "cave" look like? What are the specific comforts, distractions, or predictable routines you retreat to in order to avoid the risk and exposure of living fully by faith?
2. Jesus' call to "come out" is often met with the reality that we "stink" and are still bound [40:43]. What are the "grave cloths" (e.g., habits, fears, past hurts) you are still wrapped in that make you hesitant to fully step into the new life God is offering?
3. Choosing to follow God's call can feel costly and risky, sometimes threatening relationships or personal safety [47:48]. What is one area of your life where God might be inviting you to choose obedience to Him over the approval or expectations of others?
4. Being unbound is not for isolation but for being "set loose for love, peace, forgiveness, and mercy" [52:59]. Who in your life needs you to be a person who unbinds others with grace rather than judges them for their grave cloths?
5. Resurrection life involves "stumbling attempts to live newly" [52:33]. What is one small, practical step you can take this week to "come out" of a hiding place and act with compassion or courage toward someone else?