Dear Middletown Reformed Church Family and Friends,
Lenten blessings to you, beloved of God
And so, it has begun. Our Lenten journey of Coming Back to Life started on Wednesday as I marked us with the ashes of God’s love. We sang hymns, we listened to Scripture and music, we received the Lord’s Supper, and we prayed, putting our “shadow cards” on our Lent table. A very big thank you to our Joyful Noise Adult Choir and the hearty souls who came out braving that dreadful storm.
One of the things I love about our devotional this year is the intergenerational activities related to the Scripture readings. You can do these at home with your family, with a group of friends, or on your own. For example, some of this upcoming week’s activities are:
Build a model of the solar system using fruit and a lamp or flashlight, to help visualize how Earth’s tilt toward the Sun lengthens the day and starts the spring. And just for fun: if Earth were the size of an orange, the Sun would be a sphere about as tall as a two-story house!
Practice a simple breathing exercise to calm anxiety: Breathe in slowly while thinking, “God is with me,” and breathe out while thinking, “I am safe.”
Each day this week, step outside or sit by a window to feel the sunlight on your face.Take a moment to give thanks for the new day, each one a little longer than the last.
Each activity is meant to point us toward God’s beautiful creation that is coming back to life as we anticipate the hope of new life that is given to us in the resurrection. And oh, how we need hope in these challenging times!
Come with hope this First Sunday in Lent as we continue our journey with Jesus into Jerusalem. The Girl Scouts in our congregation have a special presentation for us during the Message for all ages. Tom will lead us in our hymns and will sing the Anthem “Made to Praise.” I am preaching from Luke 10.25-37 — the parable of the Good Samaritan — and my sermon title is Do This and You Will Live. Also, we have the joy and privilege of ordaining and installing our new Deacons — Kim Larson and Dara Steele. Lastly, as it is the second Sunday of the month, we will receive our Deacons’ offering to help those in need in our church and community. And I know there are a lot of people who would be grateful for our offerings of Christ’s light and love.
Keep following Jesus, beloved.
With gratitude for the privilege of being your pastor and the holy call of loving you,
Pastor Trish