Greetings to you in this Holy Week 2015.
I hope you are able to carve out some devotional time to ponder the sacred events of this week as we journey with our Lord to the cross and beyond.
For Good Friday, we are holding a special prayer group in the sanctuary at 7 p.m. All are welcome.
Easter Sunday service is at 10 a.m. and features our choir, Redeeming Grace (our praise band), and brass. There is no Sunday school, but there will be child care. If the Spirit moves you, please seize the opportunity and invite a friend or neighbor to worship with you!
Speaking of “the Spirit moving” and “seizing opportunities,” I want to thank you for making “Get Off Your Donkey” one of the most engaging, stimulating and fun experiences of faith formation, growth, and learning we’ve ever had! The Sunday group with Pip and Cecile meeting after church will continue meeting through April, next on April 12. Anyone is welcome to join in even if you haven’t participated before.
A reminder: the next Work Camp planning meeting will be on April 16 at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend, and the more who come, the more energy and excitement seems to be generated!
Following Easter, your Worship Team and I have chosen to focus on the “I am” sayings of Jesus in the Gospel according to John as follows:
April 12 – 1. Bread
“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger.” John 6:35
April 19 – 2. Light
“I am the light of the world; he who fallows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
April 26 – 3. Gate
“I am the gate; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9
May 3 – 4. Good Shepherd
“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.” John 10:11
May 10 – 5. Resurrection and Life
“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.” John 11:25
May 17 – 6. Way, Truth, Life
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” John 14:6
May 24 – 7. True vine
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1
I was privileged to attend a 3-day seminar on the Gospel of John last June conducted by one of the top scholars in the field, Dr. Karoline Lewis, associate professor of biblical preaching and the Alvin N. Rogness Chair of Homiletics at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Hopefully that experience will reap benefits for us all as we move through this Spring series!
A quick note to “save the date” of May 17th for our Church Annual Meeting following worship.
Wishing you and all your loved ones a truly blessed Easter and glorious Spring,
Rev. Jim