Dear Friends

 

Greetings in the name of Jesus!  The season of Lent is coming to an end and Holy Week.  We will soon be hearing again of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the disciples last supper with Jesus and the passion of our Lord.  Palm Sunday is March 29th.  Our Holy Thursday service is April 2nd at 7:30 PM and will be our communion service for the month of April.  Our Good Friday service is based on the 7 last words or sayings of Jesus from the cross.  This will be a service of songs by our choir and readings from the pastors.  On Sunday April 5th our sanctuary will be filled with the joyous sounds of resurrection at both of our services.

 

The meaningful church seasons of Lent and Holy Week lead us to the season of Easter.  We often think of Easter as just one day, but it includes all the Sundays leading up until Pentecost, which is May 24th this year.  Christ’s resurrection makes a difference in our individual lives and in the life of the church throughout the year.

 

During the month of February and into the beginning of Lent, many of us participated in a 28-day Dynamite Prayer experiment using the book by Rosario Picardo and Sue Nilson Kibbey.  We invited God’s resurrection power into our lives and the life of our church.  For the last several months we have been praying the breakthrough prayer written by our bishop in our weekly bulletin.  Beginning on Easter Sunday, a new prayer will be in our bulletin that relates more closely to our setting. 

 

I often describe our church as the one at the traffic lights on Rt. 8 and Dickey Road. In fact, I believe that I have spent a year of my life waiting for that light to change when leaving our building!  Sue Nilson Kibbey encourages churches to create a breakthrough prayer with a prayer symbol. Our prayer was written with that in mind:

 

Loving God, breakthrough the busyness of our lives

so that we might stop to hear your voice,

discern where you are leading and

go in the power of your Spirit in Jesus' name. Amen.

 

It is my hope that you will join me praying this prayer daily.  Maybe when you leave our church building while you are waiting for the light to turn green or at other lights.  It may be better for you to pray it when your day begins or ends.  I hope you will pray along with those of us who will begin the Dream Table process with Sue Nilson Kibbey during the month of April and May.  Your team for this discernment process is Andy Detar, Jennie Smith, Pastor Amanda and Pastor Keith.  I am looking forward to the new things God will do as we pray and discern together.

 

Blessings,

Pastor Keith