M A RCH 2026
With Christ at the Center
VO LU M E S S N O. 3
CONNECTIONS
“Remember that you are but dust, and to dust you shall return…” (Psalm 103:14). Lent is a time of drawing closer to God in confession, intentional prayer and fasting, and deeper resolve to follow Jesus, even—and especially—when it leads to the cross. Join us at Providence this Lenten season.
From the Senior Pastor There are many ways to deepen spiritual awareness during the season of Lent. Some people give up a particular food or drink—or maybe press pause on a bad habit—as a symbolic reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for the sake of a sinful world. Some people add a beneficial practice, like daily Bible reading, or deliberate acts of kindness, or fasting one day each week as sign of the new life that the risen Christ offers to all who come to him in faith. his Lenten season, I am walking T with purpose, using my daily walks and intentional time outdoors as an opportunity to pray for the people and places that I see. The idea of walking with purpose is an insight that I gained from my time on St. Cuthbert’s Way last fall. Over the course of 100 kilometers, I discovered that walking outdoors has a liberating effect on my mind. Something about being in motion helps elevate my thoughts toward God—or, maybe, it creates sufficient space for God to sneak into thoughts that might otherwise be focused on other, lesser, matters. Either way, it’s a good thing. So, this Lenten season, I am walking with
purpose—and on Saturday, April 4, I invite you to join me for a walk with purpose (or, if you want to be fancy about it, a pilgrimage) to the historical heart of uptown Charlotte. Here’s what I have in mind: Providence pilgrims will gather in the Activity Center parking lot at 10am and walk up Randolph Road to the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, a distance of 5.2 miles. Along the way, we will pass by schools, a hospital, the courthouse and government buildings, businesses, churches, and lots of places where our neighbors live. Every one of these venues is an invitation to pray for the people in our community and for the blessings that make our community strong: Peace, justice, education, health, work, and a shared commitment to the common good. At the intersection of Trade and Tryon, we will pray together as a group, rest for a while, and then head back to the church. The roundtrip is roughly 10.4 miles. If walking the whole thing feels daunting, then walk some of it—or, just show up at the corner of Trade and Tryon around noon. There’s no shame in being a partial-pilgrim!
I’ve been inspired here by the Buddhist monks who traveled through Charlotte back in January. They walked for peace. That was their purpose. I thought: 'We can do something like that, too, as a way of blessing Charlotte and bearing witness to God’s love for our city.' In Colossians 1:10, the apostle Paul urges us to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Christ, bearing fruit in every good work.” Walking together on April 4 just feels like a good way to spend Holy Saturday, the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I invite you to join me then! May the peace of Christ be with you!
Lee Canipe Senior Pastor SERMON TEXTS THIS MONTH March 1 March 8 March 15 March 22 March 29
Larry Hovis Traci Smith 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Ezekiel 37:1-14 Matthew 21:1-11