Looking Towards Holy Week

What an interesting journey we have had with our friend Jonah this Lent. Hopefully by now you are familiar with his story---with all of his efforts to run from God and with God’s persistent love for Jonah and for the people of Nineveh. The Jonah story reminds us that God never gives up on God’s people. Soon it will be Holy Week. We have a lot of meaningful events planned and I hope you will take part and bring someone with you! A full schedule of worship services and activities is included in this newsletter. We will begin the week with our Palm Sunday Worship and Outreach Luncheon to celebrate our outreach effort for Newborns in Need (remember to bring your baby items to the sanctuary these next two Sundays).

Maundy Thursday we will gather for a meal with our sisters and brothers of New Vessels Christian Church (our “nesting congregation”) with the purpose of exploring the meaning of Passover in the Jewish community. Our guest speaker will be Julia Phillips, a member of Temple B’nai Israel here in OKC. We will then transition to the Christian tradition of observing the Lord’s Supper. Please make a reservation for this meal.

You will be sent home from that evening with an “at-home” Good Friday devotional. I encourage you to set aside a time for personal worship on Friday to read this devotion and to spend some time in reflection and prayer.

Easter Sunday you have two opportunities to worship. We will gather by the lake at Casady School for a 7 a.m. sunrise service (blue jeans allowed!). Our traditional Easter Service of Resurrection is at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary. THEN the kids from Village Christian and New Vessels can dash for eggs at the Egg Hunt immediately following the worship service.

I hope this Lent has been a time of spiritual growth for us all.

May we have a joyous Easter!

Amy

The Lenten “Stretch”

By now you have been introduced to our friend this Lent, good old Jonah. When God called Jonah to take word of God’s love to the people in Ninevah, Jonah ran in the opposite direction. He didn’t like those Ninevites---not only were they strangers to him, they had ways that were different. The people of Nineveh were outside Jonah’s comfort zone. The LAST thing he wanted to do was to stretch himself that far for God.

This Lent I invite you to stretch yourself for God. We are sharing in a congregational service project, bringing items for infants who live below the poverty level. This is a great project and I hope you will participate. But let’s go even further—let’s all do a personal stretch. Can you think of something you might do between now and Easter that would be a stretch for you. Here are some ideas:

Call the church and ask for the name of a shut-in: Go visit that person.

Speak up for something you believe in at your workplace.

Address a problem in your family that needs attention.

Ask for forgiveness in a relationship.

Visit the Brit-Vil Food Bank and learn about the people they serve.

Offer to lead a Sunday School lesson—giving your teacher a break.

Pick up the phone and call someone you think might be lonely.

You will have ideas of your own. I challenge all of us to do something for the gospel that makes us uncomfortable and stretches us in a new way.

May we grow, together, this Lent, in the light of God’s love.

Pastor Amy

Growing Season

Who would have expected growing season to have come in the middle of winter?! We have several signs of new life here in our church community, and we thank God for all the ways we are being stirred. In spite of winter blizzards, we have welcomed several new members into the church in the past few weeks. We welcome Kyle Siler, who joins his wife Kelly as a member here. Kyle has jumped in and is serving as a Deacon, and they are both a part of “The Crew”. Aminat Molake has found her way to us all the way from Nigeria! Aminat works in the area of senior home care. Lois Hansel has been attending for some time and is a member of the Keystone Sunday School class. And last but certainly not least, Esteban Valdez, a fifth-grader at Ridgeview Elementary, made his confession of faith and was baptized January 17. All these new members will be welcomed at our Visitor/New Member Luncheon Sunday, February 7.

We are growing in faith, as well. The crisis in Haiti has challenged us to reach out through prayer and the sharing of our resources. It puts us in touch with the reality that as a global community we are charged with each other’s care, especially in times such as this when there is so much suffering.

Lent is on the horizon. There will be many opportunities for spiritual growth through worship and study. I hope you will open yourself to God’s leading as we explore the events of Lent through the lens of the story of Jonah. As we offer God our thanks for many signs of new life, we recall Jesus’ words: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed---it is the smallest of seeds, yet when it grows: it becomes the largest of garden plants—a tree. If you have faith like a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible to you”. (Mt. 17:20)

Growing With You, in Christ,

Amy

• New possibilities
• Invigoration
• That we will face changes with excitement
• That we listen to God for direction
• Our church budget
• Our pastor
• Growth in all areas
• Continued development of new leaders
• Physical, spiritual, and mental health
• Revitalization
• Positive thinking
• Joy!