April 2007
From the Pastor:
As you receive this newsletter we will be in the midst of orchestrating the last minute details of our observances for Holy week.
The choir will be preparing its Seven Last Words, the communion stewards will be making sure the communion bread and juice are plentiful, and the worship committee will be making sure the Easter morning balloons stay inflated for their big release on Easter Sunday.
Year after year we find ourselves getting things ready for the big day to arrive. The day when our savior was raised from the dead.
But last year I found myself with pneumonia during Holy week and worrying about those things I couldn't control. A guest preacher had to come in to do the service on Palm Sunday. And the worship committee had to pick up some of the responsibilities I could not fulfill.
It was during that time that I learned an invaluable lesson. I learned that no one is irreplaceable. Easter was going to go on with or without me. I also learned the importance of being still during Holy Week.
The process of being still is a spiritual discipline we Christians struggle with. Our tendency during the holy week is to busy ourselves with the details of orchestrating long standing traditions. And we do those things without much thought or reflection.
As I think about this, I can truly say that the tendency to do things automatically and without much thought or reflection is symptomatic of our world today. We go to the grocery on Friday because that's when we have always gone. We clean the house on Saturday because that's when it's always done. We watch television on Monday nights because that's when our favorite shows go on.
We are creatures of habit. And because we are creatures of habit when we do things long enough, we don't stop long enough to think about why we do things the way we do them anymore. Simply put, we have a tendency to do things a certain way because we have always done them that way.
The problem with this is that life becomes monotonous. And in the life of a believer this can mean death. As followers of Christ we are called to be renewed into the image of Christ each and every day. Paul said it best when he wrote to the Romans and said, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)”
In this passage Paul tells the church that the process of spiritual growth is an ongoing process. In other words, don't settle or be conformed to the things of this world that cause you to fall asleep spiritually. But rather, allow the spirit of God to continue to renew your mind, to transform all that you are so that Christ can live in you.
But none of this can happen unless we take the time to be still and allow the quiet still voice of God to penetrate deep inside of us. And none of this can happen if we stop discerning how God was and is working in our midst through the many liturgical experiences we are offered during our walk with God.
This Holy Week I believe we are being called to stop and listen. This holy season we are being called to take time and reflect on how God is trying to reach out to us. It's time for us to really listen for God's quiet still voice through the voices of our choir when they sing those last seven words. It's time for us to stop long enough on Good Friday and reflect on what the day truly means for us as Christians.
It's time for us to pick up our hymnals and read hymns like "Were You There?" or "O Sacred Head Now Wounded," and then reflect on what the message really means to us.
Only when we stop long enough to be still can we experience the powerful outstretched arms of a loving savior who says to us, "Come all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest."
This is the message of the cross. It is a message we should never take for granted. It is a message we should stop long enough to hear.
Join me during Holy Week and discover it once again. I guarantee you will never be the same.
In love and peace,
Pastor Mara
Worship for the Month of April
April 1, 2007
Passion Sunday or Palm Sunday
9:00 a.m. Worship with Traditional Communion
Readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 and Luke 19:28-40
Sermon Theme: Jerusalem rocks and rolls when Jesus makes his Palm Sunday entrance, a shaking that is still being felt today. Today we continue to follow Jesus because we find ourselves intensely attracted to his mission and his message, deeply drawn to his work of salvation, reconciliation, and peace.
______________________________________
April 5, 2007
Maundy Thursday
7:00 p.m. Worship
Worship Description: This will be a service of lights and sacred music. Prepare to be moved as the choir recounts Jesus’ last words through music. Readings, music, and mime will guide us through this powerful service of lights. At the end of the worship, the only light shining will be the Christ candle. Worshipers will then leave the sanctuary in darkness. This is symbolic of the darkness that fell on the earth when Jesus died on the cross.
_______________________________________
April 6, 2007
Good Friday
2:00 p.m. Worship
Readings: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and John 19:17-37
Sermon Theme: If to imitate Christ on Good Friday means to suffer, perhaps to follow Christ on Good Friday means to stand near the cross and witness. On Good Friday we follow by standing still.
Worship Description: This will be a service of penitence and reflection. There will be communion in Fellowship Hall. The worshipers will be encouraged to write their own confessions and nail them to the cross. After the service the written confessions will be burned along with palm branches from Palm Sunday.
_________________________________________
April 8, 2007
Easter Sunday with Traditional Communion
8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Worship
Readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, and John 20:1-18 Sermon Theme: How many light bulbs does it take to change the world? Just one, and that’s no joke. John called Jesus “the light that shines in the darkness” and “the true light which enlightens everyone.” Now we are being called to be light to others. How does your light reflect the resurrected Christ? That's the challenge for us as followers of the resurrected Christ.
_________________________________________
April 15, 2007
Jazz Sunday
9:00 a.m. Worship
Readings: Psalm 150 and Revelation 1:4-8
Worship Description: Today we will enjoy the sights and sounds of the most anticipated worship service of the year. The jazz service will uplift our spirits and allow us to celebrate God’s great gift of music through John Harmon’s musical group. Come and enjoy the melodic voice of Fred Simon (Si). Come and experience the celebration!
______________________________________
April 22, 2007
Confirmation Sunday
9:00 a.m. Worship
Readings: Psalm 30 and John 20:19-31
Sermon Theme: The journey of faith takes on many forms. Some look for faith in isolation.
Others find it in community. As a connectional church, we in the Presbyterian Church choose the latter. The question is why? Why is the community of faith such an important part of our faith journey? Thomas the disciple, known as doubting Thomas, discovers the answer in the midst of his disbelief.
____________________________
April 29, 2007
Third Sunday After Easter
9:00 a.m. Worship
Readings: Psalm 23 and John 10:22-30
Sermon Theme: We live in a changing new world of computer-raised sheep, but there’s still just one Shepherd to follow. Whom do you follow? When we follow Christ, the Shepherd, we are protected and provided for. And when he calls us we hear his clear voice that bids us to follow toward soul-satisfaction.
ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION LENTEN STUDY
Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People: Nancy and John Oberg share their spiritual journey in six video presentations. They discuss spirituality, spiritual disciplines, and living spiritually transformed lives. The presenters discuss how personal challenges are issued for us to develop our own spiritual disciplines through our prayer life, Bible study, and servanthood. In April we will be presenting sessions (4) Meditating on Scripture - Washing our Minds with God's Word; (5) Living the Spiritual Life - The Action Side of Spirituality; (6) Developing a Rule for Life - Having a Well-Ordered Heart.The classes will take place April 1, 15, 22. Pastor Mara will teach this awesome study. Join us for this insightful study as we journey through Lent. The class will meet in Fellowship Hall at 10:20 a.m.
As you receive this newsletter we will be in the midst of orchestrating the last minute details of our observances for Holy week.
The choir will be preparing its Seven Last Words, the communion stewards will be making sure the communion bread and juice are plentiful, and the worship committee will be making sure the Easter morning balloons stay inflated for their big release on Easter Sunday.
Year after year we find ourselves getting things ready for the big day to arrive. The day when our savior was raised from the dead.
But last year I found myself with pneumonia during Holy week and worrying about those things I couldn't control. A guest preacher had to come in to do the service on Palm Sunday. And the worship committee had to pick up some of the responsibilities I could not fulfill.
It was during that time that I learned an invaluable lesson. I learned that no one is irreplaceable. Easter was going to go on with or without me. I also learned the importance of being still during Holy Week.
The process of being still is a spiritual discipline we Christians struggle with. Our tendency during the holy week is to busy ourselves with the details of orchestrating long standing traditions. And we do those things without much thought or reflection.
As I think about this, I can truly say that the tendency to do things automatically and without much thought or reflection is symptomatic of our world today. We go to the grocery on Friday because that's when we have always gone. We clean the house on Saturday because that's when it's always done. We watch television on Monday nights because that's when our favorite shows go on.
We are creatures of habit. And because we are creatures of habit when we do things long enough, we don't stop long enough to think about why we do things the way we do them anymore. Simply put, we have a tendency to do things a certain way because we have always done them that way.
The problem with this is that life becomes monotonous. And in the life of a believer this can mean death. As followers of Christ we are called to be renewed into the image of Christ each and every day. Paul said it best when he wrote to the Romans and said, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)”
In this passage Paul tells the church that the process of spiritual growth is an ongoing process. In other words, don't settle or be conformed to the things of this world that cause you to fall asleep spiritually. But rather, allow the spirit of God to continue to renew your mind, to transform all that you are so that Christ can live in you.
But none of this can happen unless we take the time to be still and allow the quiet still voice of God to penetrate deep inside of us. And none of this can happen if we stop discerning how God was and is working in our midst through the many liturgical experiences we are offered during our walk with God.
This Holy Week I believe we are being called to stop and listen. This holy season we are being called to take time and reflect on how God is trying to reach out to us. It's time for us to really listen for God's quiet still voice through the voices of our choir when they sing those last seven words. It's time for us to stop long enough on Good Friday and reflect on what the day truly means for us as Christians.
It's time for us to pick up our hymnals and read hymns like "Were You There?" or "O Sacred Head Now Wounded," and then reflect on what the message really means to us.
Only when we stop long enough to be still can we experience the powerful outstretched arms of a loving savior who says to us, "Come all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest."
This is the message of the cross. It is a message we should never take for granted. It is a message we should stop long enough to hear.
Join me during Holy Week and discover it once again. I guarantee you will never be the same.
In love and peace,
Pastor Mara
Worship for the Month of April
April 1, 2007
Passion Sunday or Palm Sunday
9:00 a.m. Worship with Traditional Communion
Readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 and Luke 19:28-40
Sermon Theme: Jerusalem rocks and rolls when Jesus makes his Palm Sunday entrance, a shaking that is still being felt today. Today we continue to follow Jesus because we find ourselves intensely attracted to his mission and his message, deeply drawn to his work of salvation, reconciliation, and peace.
______________________________________
April 5, 2007
Maundy Thursday
7:00 p.m. Worship
Worship Description: This will be a service of lights and sacred music. Prepare to be moved as the choir recounts Jesus’ last words through music. Readings, music, and mime will guide us through this powerful service of lights. At the end of the worship, the only light shining will be the Christ candle. Worshipers will then leave the sanctuary in darkness. This is symbolic of the darkness that fell on the earth when Jesus died on the cross.
_______________________________________
April 6, 2007
Good Friday
2:00 p.m. Worship
Readings: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and John 19:17-37
Sermon Theme: If to imitate Christ on Good Friday means to suffer, perhaps to follow Christ on Good Friday means to stand near the cross and witness. On Good Friday we follow by standing still.
Worship Description: This will be a service of penitence and reflection. There will be communion in Fellowship Hall. The worshipers will be encouraged to write their own confessions and nail them to the cross. After the service the written confessions will be burned along with palm branches from Palm Sunday.
_________________________________________
April 8, 2007
Easter Sunday with Traditional Communion
8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Worship
Readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, and John 20:1-18 Sermon Theme: How many light bulbs does it take to change the world? Just one, and that’s no joke. John called Jesus “the light that shines in the darkness” and “the true light which enlightens everyone.” Now we are being called to be light to others. How does your light reflect the resurrected Christ? That's the challenge for us as followers of the resurrected Christ.
_________________________________________
April 15, 2007
Jazz Sunday
9:00 a.m. Worship
Readings: Psalm 150 and Revelation 1:4-8
Worship Description: Today we will enjoy the sights and sounds of the most anticipated worship service of the year. The jazz service will uplift our spirits and allow us to celebrate God’s great gift of music through John Harmon’s musical group. Come and enjoy the melodic voice of Fred Simon (Si). Come and experience the celebration!
______________________________________
April 22, 2007
Confirmation Sunday
9:00 a.m. Worship
Readings: Psalm 30 and John 20:19-31
Sermon Theme: The journey of faith takes on many forms. Some look for faith in isolation.
Others find it in community. As a connectional church, we in the Presbyterian Church choose the latter. The question is why? Why is the community of faith such an important part of our faith journey? Thomas the disciple, known as doubting Thomas, discovers the answer in the midst of his disbelief.
____________________________
April 29, 2007
Third Sunday After Easter
9:00 a.m. Worship
Readings: Psalm 23 and John 10:22-30
Sermon Theme: We live in a changing new world of computer-raised sheep, but there’s still just one Shepherd to follow. Whom do you follow? When we follow Christ, the Shepherd, we are protected and provided for. And when he calls us we hear his clear voice that bids us to follow toward soul-satisfaction.
ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION LENTEN STUDY
Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People: Nancy and John Oberg share their spiritual journey in six video presentations. They discuss spirituality, spiritual disciplines, and living spiritually transformed lives. The presenters discuss how personal challenges are issued for us to develop our own spiritual disciplines through our prayer life, Bible study, and servanthood. In April we will be presenting sessions (4) Meditating on Scripture - Washing our Minds with God's Word; (5) Living the Spiritual Life - The Action Side of Spirituality; (6) Developing a Rule for Life - Having a Well-Ordered Heart.The classes will take place April 1, 15, 22. Pastor Mara will teach this awesome study. Join us for this insightful study as we journey through Lent. The class will meet in Fellowship Hall at 10:20 a.m.
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