worship preview

With Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday in our rearview mirror, we approach our first Sunday in Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is a misunderstood time of the Church calendar.  Often we think of it as a time to refrain from sweets or to scale back our coffee consumption.  The question most often asked this time of year is "what are you giving up for Lent?" 

 

Lent, however, is not about giving up something but about gaining Someone.  It's a time for us to reflect on our absolute need for Christ and to take steps that allow Him to live more fully within us. Doing this might lead us to give up some behaviors or thought patterns that quench the Spirit. Usually such things don't involve coffee or chocolate, but rather things like prayerlessness, gossip, and judging others. Giving up these habits can create an interior space for us to know and love Christ more deeply.

 

The first Sunday in Lent traditionally focuses on the temptations of Christ and so our text for worship will be Luke 4:1-4, which narrates the first temptation.  We will zero in on the second and third temptations in subsequent weeks.  Pondering the trials that Jesus went through can help us to see what steps we need to take if we are to truly be his disciples.  Please read the verses in Luke (includeded below) and reflect on these questions: 

why would it have been wrong for Jesus to have done this? why would this have been a tempting option for Jesus? what does Jesus' response tell us about his mission in life?  if Jesus didn't come to turn stone into bread, what did he come to do?  in what ways are you tempted to see Jesus as less than he is?  in what ways are you tempted to compromise your mission in life?  how do these temptations get expressed in your life?  relying on Christ's help, how might you resist these temptations in a greater way?

 

May God guide each of us into a deeper experience of His love and grace this Lenten season.

 

--Bryan

 

The Temptation of Jesus

 ¹Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, ²where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

 ³The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."

 ⁴Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone." 

 

 

worship preview

This Sunday we celebrate the Day of Love, also known as Valentine's Day. While the origins of Valentine's Day are rather murky, the U.S.

Greeting Cards Association estimates Valentine's Day is now the second-most popular card-giving day of the year, behind Christmas. 

Florists, candy-makers, and restauranteurs also tend to do a brisk business as folks seek ways to share and celebrate love.

 

Whatever plans you may or may not have on this Valentine's Day, I hope you will join us in worship as we explore the ways God seeks us to be His valentine and the lengths he goes to have him be ours as well.  In our service, we will take a look at a passage from Hosea 2:14-23 (included below).  Here, Hosea reveals the nature and depth of God's love in a way that may surprise you.  While we often think of God as Father, Judge, Creator, and Friend, here Hosea portrays God as a Lover head-over-heals in love with His people. 

 

My hope is that as we ponder this passage, we will arrive at a deeper appreciation for a God who invites us to be eternally His as He woos us by His love and grace.  

 

Join us in the festivities as we celebrate this dimension of the God who passionately loves us and invites us to love Him passionately in return.

 

To prepare, please read the Hosea passage and ponder these questions:  have you ever thought of God in the way described by Hosea?  what does knowing this about God mean to you? why do you think God is like this? what difference might this reality make in your life? 

 

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

 

--Bryan

 

Hosea 2: 14-23

 

"Here's what I'm going to do:  I'm going to start all over again.

I'm taking her back out into the wilderness where we had our first date, and I'll court her.

I'll give her bouquets of roses.

I'll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope.

'At that time'--this is God's Message still--

'you'll address me , 'Dear Husband!'

Never again will you address me, 'My slave-master.'

And then I'll marry you for good--forever!

I'll marry you good and proper, in love and tenderness.

Yes, I'll marry you and neither leave you nor let you go." (The Message).

 

 

 

 

Holy Land Pilgrimage Luncheon

On Sunday, February 21, immediately following the 11:00 service, Pastor Bryan Smith will be sharing pictures and reflections about his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We’ll have lunch together at about 12:30 and the presentation will begin at about 1:00. If you plan to be here for the lunch, please contact the church office so we will be sure to have enough food on hand. Suggested donation for lunch is $3.50 for adults and $1.50 for children 10 and under.

Ash Wednesday Dinner and Worship

We will mark the beginning of Lent on Wednesday, February 17 by sharing a simple meal at 6:15 followed by an Ash Wednesday service at 7:00. This is a deeply meaningful service in which you will renew your baptismal and confirmation vows, and be given the opportunity to receive anointing and a prayer of blessing. If you plan to be here for the dinner, please contact the church office. Suggested donation for the meal is $3.50 for adults and $1.50 for children 10 and under with a family maximum of $12. People of all ages are encouraged to attend the service. Child care will be provided for infants and toddlers, if desired.

Lenten Dinner Series

Lenten Dinner Series starting February 24.

The ballots are in and there were two topics that seem to be of great interest, so our Lenten Dinner Series will tackle both of them. We’ll begin with Faith and Stress, and follow up with Revelation and the End Times. Please contact the church office if you would like to attend. Dinner begins at 5:45 with the class following at 6:30. Suggested donation for dinner is $3.50 for adults and $1.50 for children 10 and under.

• Faith and Stress – Jesus tells us, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt 6:34). It appears that worrying is contrary to a life of faith, but knowing that theologically is much easier than living it experientially. Stress is real, and we all deal with it to some degree. In this class we will explore what the Christian faith has to offer in the midst of a stress-producing world.
• Revelation and the End Times – Interest in the “End Times” seems to have peaked in recent years.  But what does the Bible really say about these matters? Is there a message to us, as people of faith, in this recent interest in apocalyptic scenarios?  How can knowing what God has to say about the “End Times” help us live in the “Mean Time”? How can we bring hope to a world that is spinning out of control?