From the Pastor
Jun 2nd, 2008 by Sherrell
Jun 2nd, 2008 by Sherrell
From Our Pastor
We are in the traditional season of Lent, a time of reflection and consideration of the ways we avoid the holy spirit of our God as that spirit surges into our desires and directions. This Lenten season we are offering a couple of ways to assist in making the journey toward wholeness and purpose.
First, I am suggesting that you all read the Gospel of Luke starting at the beginning and ending with the stories after Easter. We work our way through Luke every three years in the cycle of readings on Sunday morning but the good doctor (most authorities believe Luke was a Greek doctor) writes a great tale of Jesus confronting the spiritual and earthly powers.
Second, each of you will receive an invitation to come to the home of one of your brothers or sisters in the congregation in the middle of March. This is an occasion to get to know some of the folks you see in worship on Sunday morning in a smaller group. We hope this will strengthen the connections between us and deepen our involvement with each other.
But we had another goal in mind with these small gatherings: Each group will take a few minutes to explore the introduction to Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl Wudunn. Out of that exploration of this great book of hope about the struggles of women in developing countries we are asking each of you to select an activity which would open the possibility of new life for women across the earth. This might sound a bit overwhelming but the wonder of our world is that the variety of ways we may interact with each other in love and support is vast. And the possibilities for action can be as simple as a prayer each morning or as intense as volunteering in Kenya.
Whatever you decide to do you are invited to bring your choice to the Maundy Thursday Service the Thursday before Easter, April 1. The service will include a simple meal (really a continuation of the Soup Suppers we have been having throughout Lent) and a remembrance of Jesus’ last meal with his friends. In the midst of the meal there will be a time for private or public dedication to the action you have chosen.
I hope that as many of you as possible will be able to attend the small group gatherings in homes and conclude together at the Maundy Thursday Service at 6:00 pm.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Michael