All in-person meetings in the church facilities are cancelled until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thoughts on Lent
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
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Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent. Lent is the 40 days (not counting Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to Easter marked by repentance, fasting/self-denial, prayer, reflection, giving, and ultimately celebration. Lent commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, alone and tempted by the devil. But haven’t we been through a yearlong of wilderness experiences already? This pandemic has forced us to fast from physical touch, from connecting with the things we want to do, from gathering with friends and family, from eating out, from attending worship services, from traveling, from giving hugs, handshakes, and high fives, from carrying out our normal life and routines. One would need the fingers on both hands to name some of the things that have been lost, not to mention nearly a half-million lives lost in our country alone. Add to this all, economic hardship, businesses struggling or closing, unemployment, racial tensions, structural systemic racism, and political turmoil. Indeed, I cannot think of any other year where everything has been off kilter.
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So what do we do with this second Lent under pandemic? At its heart, Lent is about making sure that we strengthen our relationship with God. (That’s what Jesus did in the wilderness.) This Lent, I would urge everyone to take this time to re-evaluate their relationship with God. Find ways of growing closer to God. Find ways to be a better Christian, the person you have been called to become. Also, strengthen your relationship with those around you. Maybe this Lent could be a time to strengthen and repair the relationships that have been harmed and ruptured during this pandemic, either because you haven’t been able to meet in person, or because you have had disagreements over politics, science, and truth. Take the time to step back and practice a more gentle approach to people you disagree with.
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Maybe you can take Lent as a detox time from social media. Maybe you could limit how much time you spend on Netflix or Amazon or Facebook and Tik Tok and use those hours to read, rest, pray, or just create. Maybe Lent could be a time to contemplate what the sacrifices others have made for us are. You could follow Jesus' model of ‘doing for others’ by letting your friends know you are there for them.
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Folks, Lent is an invitation to repentance, fasting/self-denial, prayer, reflection, giving, and ultimately celebration. Let us be ready for the redemption, resurrection, and new life God will bring through Easter. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus so that we could be made a little more kind, more tolerant, more loving, more patient, more human.
Maybe, we can make this Lent the most meaningful Lent in our lives. Amen!
In Christ’s service and yours,
Pastor David
Sunday Service
During this time of COVID restrictions we are holding our Sunday morning worship service over Zoom each week at 10:00 am. We have a service that includes music, prayer, and a message, followed by a virtual coffee hour so we can visit with each other.
The meeting ID and password are the same each week and are emailed to those on our Announcement List. If you aren't on our list you contact the church office and we will provide the information. You can also join our list by filling out this form.
Hope you can join us.
God Bless you and your loved ones.
