Don't Be Fooled

Pastor Bradley Shannon brought the service to order and said "I'm grateful you're here." while carrying a rotary telephone, illustrating the manner in which times change. Phone went from rotary dial to digital buttons, and from dumb phones to smart phones. We live in a world of continuous change, but how do we react when changes rock your world and break your heart?

Announcements
There is a new members class being assembled. Notify Pastor Brad if you are interested in becoming a member.

The trio led us in worship today, selecting songs from the 70's, the first being "He Died On the Cross." This was followed by a song Elvis used to sing to his mother, "Without Him" after which we sang three songs from the Silver Songbook. During the offering the Trio also sang "On the Jericho Road."

John and Christina are in the hospital this morning, and even though you are not supposed to work on the Sabbath, Christina is in labor at this moment. Other requests were lifted up, including many hard things that happened to people close to our church family.

Don't Be Fooled

The lectionary text for this day, all over the world, is I Corinthians 1:18-25

What seems like foolishness to some seems like the power of God to others.

Brad read a passage from No Wonder They Call Him the Savior, by Max Lucado. Ultimately if true the Cross is history's hinge. If not true it is history's hoax.

The Cross is central to everything, and as much as it has been maligned through history it can never be ignored or forgotten.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. His compassion, His humility, and His love are unchanged.

God knows everything about us, including our bad behavior, improper reactions to things, yet God is always reaching toward us to comfort, to demonstrate His care. His character is perfect and does not change.

The second question, when you think about God's power, His omnipotence, is this real?

Our beauty, our strength all fade. Sooner or later we all peak and go downhill. Likewise presidents and even countries come and go.

Psalm 145 says "Your dominion endures for all generations." God's power is as vast as it ever was. God hasn't eased up or tired out. His power is endless and infinite.

The third question: Do you believe it's a hinge or hoax that God absolutely hates sin.

This culture seems to minimize sin. It's no big deal anymore. But if sin were no big deal, there was no need for the Cross.

God is intolerant of greed, injustice and racism. God hates how lives get broken by deceit, immorality, and envy. God hates the wounds caused by sin.

After creating the world and all that is in it, God had one more act of creation that is more astounding than all.... He created forgiveness. At the Cross, God created a divine whiteout the erases our sins.

The Cross is the hinge of history where forgiveness can take place and bring redemption that we might be His people.

Do you believe that it's the hinge of everything or a hoax, that God has given us -- the church -- this mission to share this message? Brad reasoned that if we said yes to all the other questions, it is a natural progression to conclude that this is also a yes. And it is not a "burden" we're asked to carry, but a privilege. We get to be part of God's mission. It' an incredible mission, and we have the opportunity to contribute.

The world is a mess. Horrible things happen every day, but we are God's arms to comfort, we are the expressions of His caring. All we have is the love of Jesus and the love of a family.

When people are hurt, we can come alongside and weep with them, as Brad and Ruthanne did this week. When things are confusing for others, we offer our confidence and faith in an unchanging God through the Cross of Jesus Christ, a God who is love and mercy and kindness. That's all we have, and we believe every human being needs this. Everybody does.

In a heartbreaking world, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Refiner’s Fire

Communion Sunday and the Fifth Sunday of Easter 

Any minute now the service will begin. The sanctuary is abuzz with members and visitors catching up on the week, the chatter vibrant with life.

“Hey, good morning! We’ll start with ‘the Lord be with you.’"

“And also with you,” we reply.

Announcements

1. Brad shared the decision that was made last week in our congregational meeting, approving the raising of funds for a downpayment on the construction of a new church building.

2. Men will meet here next Saturday at 5:00, go to Sammy’s for pizza and return to prepare breakfast for the following morning’s Mother’s Day Breakfast.

3. Youth are selling shares of stock as a fund raiser for CHIC. May 20 will be the stockholders’ dinner.

4. VBS is coming and they are inviting everyone to participate, June 11-15. There will be a Friday meeting at 10:00 a.m. here at the church.

The quartet began the service by singing He Hideth My Soul. Pastor Brad prayed for God to bless the service and the quartet followed with a lively tune called Movin’ before transitioning to a series worshipful songs that we sang together as a congregation.

Norm read the story of Philip and the Ethiopian that is found in the book Acts. Brad then led us in a time of prayer.

Refiner’s Fire

Brad began by introducing a character that he's introduced before. But first, he showed us a rock that had been dug up by his excavator. It’s hard to carry around heavy things, he told us, and he proceeded to share a story about portaging in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The canoe was heavy and during a two mile portage his father had sunk in some mud and crumpled to his knees so that he was under this heavy canoe. It made for a comical image and an apt illustration for the sermon.

Who would sign up to do something that would burden their heart for along time.  I’ve been thinking about grudges this week. What would it look like if it were a tangible object? Brad described junior varsity-sized grudges and fully mature grudges and even made reference to little grudges that he called grudgettes.

Hold a grudge, carry a grudge, nurse a grudge… we feed it to keep it alive… feed it emotions and other food that makes it grow, and we carry it around for months and even years. “I don’t talk to them. I have nothing to do with them.” 

People wake up in the morning, pick it back up and carry it throughout the day.

It makes us feel superior when we carry a grudge. There is something about righteous indignation that makes us feel better.

Grudges do not make us happier, though, and do not make us better people, yet we keep them alive and carry them.

Every human being has been hurt by another human being. The number of people who don’t talk to their family members is tragically large. Fathers and sons that don’t talk to each other, mothers and daughters, brothers and sisters....

Brad shared the story about Dear Abby and Ann Landers who were sisters who feuded their whole lives and now a second generation is carrying on the fight.These are people who make a living giving advice on relationships.

Sometimes people in the same church do this. Judgment, bitterness and hostility in their heart, even though they worship the same God.

The Patron Saint of the Grudge, Brad noted, was Lamech. You will find him in Genesis 4, a couple generations after Adam and Eve. Background, Cain killed his brother Abel, and God put a mark on Cain and said no one should kill Cain because revenge is not God’s way. Lamech, a descendant of Cain, was hurt by someone and got even by killing him.

Lamech exclaimed to his wives that if Cain is avenged seven time, then "Lamech seventy-seven times."

Lamech in his boasting was justifying himself. His enemies had it coming. “You hurt me, I’ll hurt you back.” 77 times…. That’s the way bitterness works.  How much is enough? Seven times is not. On and on is how it goes.

Jesus comes along and says, there are a lot of ways to kill someone. He said this to people who prided themselves on how religious they were. Jesus said love is not about murder avoidance. You can kill with harsh words. Or you can just withdraw, the passive/aggressive approach. When you’re married you can get really skilled at this.

Do this enough you become a stone carrier, carrying a stone of bitterness. Judgmentalism, coldness, meanness of spirit is all working inside you until it pervades your whole personality.

There is, however, another way. Jesus came along to proclaim that in light of God forgiveness there is an alternative in life. You can respond differently, you can forgive.

One time Peter came to Jesus and asked, “How many times do I have to forgive this guy? Do I have to forgive seven times?" That seemed like a lot to Peter, but he threw it out there. This happened as they prepared for the Day of Atonement. Reconciliation is an important thing to do, and the task of reconciling was one’s responsibility in preparation, but he figured there has to be a limit on this matter.

So Peter asks, “It’s the other guy’s fault. Why do I have to make the first move, the other guy did me wrong. How many times do I have to forgive? Seven times?” He thought he was being generous.

Jesus said not seven, but 70 times 7.

Brad said he believed Jesus chose this amount because it was a reversing of the Law of Lamech. “Peter, put down the stone. Following Me means you put down the stone." He added, “Unless you forgive from the heart, God will not forgive you.” Doesn’t that scare anyone?

My forgiveness came at the cost of that cross. When I forget how deeply I am stained by sin,it has unhealthy consequences. We are in desperate need of forgiveness. Spiritually I am deeply stained by my sin. It starts with pride, self-centeredness, and grows from there.

The cost to liberate us from this burden was high. There is only one safe place to put a grudge, that is at the foot of the cross, Brad stated. "You don’t have a right to that grudge. Remember the price that was paid for your forgiveness. Leave your stone at the cross."

After this we entered into communion. 

The Power of the Cross

Today is Palm Sunday and the theme of Pastor Brad's sermon was the power of the cross. Brad opened the service by noting that Palm Sunday has a tension in it because it recalls for us the adoration of Jesus and celebration of his triumphant arrival in Jerusalem. But as we celebrate it we know the rest of the story. His kingdom ended up being very different from the kingdom they expected.

Announcements included the following:
1.Prayer sheets from the last couple bulletin inserts will be collected for next few weeks.
2. There will be a special Good Friday service at 7:00 p.m. this week. There is no Easter without the cross.
3. Easter Sunday there will a breakfast here at the church from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and an Easter egg hunt for the young 'uns right after.
4. We were invited/encouraged to bring Easter Lilies to decorate the sanctuary next week.
5. The VBS Website is up. You can register online. Brooke has also been very busy putting together a church calendar to help communicate and coordinate church activities. You can see it here at the blog below, as well as here on our church website.
6. A relatively new multi-church men's ministry called Northland Sharpening Iron is hosting a workshop on April 14 from 9:00 a.m. till noon at Clyde Iron Works. You can see details at their website. They are hoping men will register by April 4 in order to secure an estimate of how many to expect.

The worship officially commenced with Darlene playing "Jerusalem" on the piano.

Today's Scripture readings were from Psalms 31:9-16, Isa. 50:4-9 and Phil. 2:5-11. Te taking of tithes and offerings followed.

There many prayer requests again today, as there are many needs in our community and fellowship. There were also words of thanks and praise as well. Health issues, decision issues, … we worship a great God who is active and meeting those needs. After this time of prayer, Brad took the pulpit to deliver the message.

Power of the Cross
After reading to us Luke's account of the crucifiction of Jesus as found in Luke 19:28-40, Brad began his message by singing the Lenny LeBlanc worship song Above All with the congregation joining in on the chorus: “Crucified, laid behind a stone, you lived to die rejected and alone, like a rose trampled on the ground you took the fall, and thought of me, above all.”

He began his sermon by talking about how companies use logos as symbols to establish their brands. The symbol links an image of the brand with the minds of consumers. Brad cited three for us.

First, Nike's Swoosh. The swoosh is a symbol of victory, he said, and noted for us that the word Nike originated from a Greek word that means victory. The Swoosh symbol increases the value of the shirt it is emblazoned on.

Then he cited the giant golden arches that adorn McDonald's. That logo has become a symbol that designates its restaurants as home of the happy meal, meal of joy. It is a sign of abundance, and cheap, fatty, artery-clogging food that you can get fast.

The third symbol, Mercedes-Benz, which bears some similarity to a Peace sign, is a sign of status. "You can’t buy happiness, but now you can lease it." The business world is all about compelling symbols that make people respond, “I want to be associated with that.”

For 2,000 years, the most widely recognized symbol of Christian faith happens to be an instrument of death, made of two pieces of wood upon which criminals were hung. This begs the question, “Why a cross? Why would you choose a cross as your logo?”

Brad asked how people would respond if an electric company used an electric chair as a symbol, with the slogan, “The power is on.” No, that wouldn’t go over well.

Yet we see the cross as the symbol for believers now for two millennia.

The cross is a sign of a death, not a sign of status, abundance, or happiness. It’s one of the most profound mysteries of our Christian faith that the God of the universe would choose a cross as the ultimate expression of His character.

Brad wants us to have a clear understanding of the meaning of the cross, and what it means to be a people of the cross. Next week is Easter and we will celebrate that, but there would be no resurrection without the cross.

He then shared a little background about the cross. Ancient cultures knew how to kill people in a variety ways. Socrates was poisoned in a less public manner. There were less messy ways to kill people. Why crucifixion?

First, crucifixion was a way to maximize pain. Second, Romans utilized crucifixion to maximize public humiliation. The man to be condemned would be forced to carry the cross beam across his back, led by soldiers, one of whom carried a sign announcing what crime he committed. The aim is to make the condemned man a public spectacle. One reason for doing this was to help subdue foreigners over whom Rome ruled.

The average criminal would suffer severely. The condemned would be beaten and whipped with whip that had pieces of bone or metal affixed. This was a cruel form of punishment designed to do maximum flesh-tearing. The team of soldiers managing this pre-execution brutality had to take care not to cause so much bleeding as to kill the victim before he'd reached the crucifixion itself.

But the most terrible part was what followed after the spikes were nailed into the hands and feet. Hanging by the arms caused the rib cage to push the air out of the lungs. In order to breathe, the condemned would lift himself up in order to breathe by means of pushing up from the spike through feet. This caused excruciating pain. And "Jesus did this for you and me," Brad noted.

The four Gospels say little about the details. Mark simply says, “And they crucified Him.” It was His spiritual suffering that was the greatest and most painful aspect of this profound event. “He who knew no sin became sin for our sake.”

Think about the darkest thing you’ve ever done that would bring shame if projected on a screen in front of everyone here. Place the weight of this and every sin ever committed by every human ever committed, every sin of abuse, every betrayal, ever genocide, every murder, every mean spiteful word, every sacrifice of integrity, every lie… Imagine the weight of all that sin weighed down in one human heart. This is what Jesus bore on our behalf.

Throughout His whole life He had never been lonely, never knew a moment of feeling unloved by the Father. Yet here, on the cross, He cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

On the cross Jesus experienced something impossible for us to imagine, utter abandonment by God. Even people who walk in sin experience God’s goodness as God wakes them each morning.

Scripture says that on the cross Jesus freed us from the curse by becoming cursed for us.

A second aspect of the cross is this. We easily see the pain of the cross, but the power of the cross was also present in this story. Darkness came over the land, the ground shook, the curtain separating the holy of holies was torn from top to bottom.

On this one man was the collective guilt of the human race was laid. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin. Not because we deserve it.

When the veil was split in two, it was a symbol of our being given full access to God as if God were now saying, “You can approach My throne with boldness.” We are invited, sin-stained as we are, to come to God any time we like.

Where do we get this power? That’s the power of the cross.

It is also about reconciliation, not just reconciliation to God but to one another. In Ephesians 2 Paul writes about the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, between races, between men and women, parents and children. This dividing wall was torn down at the cross. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. When people recognize this, they get reconciled.

Third, there is victory over evil through the cross. When Jesus died, Satan was disarmed. The Romans thought they were making a spectacle of Jesus, but Jesus was defeating sin and death and making a spectacle of the evil one. We do not have to be trapped by sin. We don’t have to be stuck. It’s the power of the cross.

That’s why the symbol of faith is not a candle or a star, it’s a cross.

Paul wrote, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it’s the power of God.” (I Corinthians 1:18)

I believe Jesus’ main desire is that we become a people of the cross. This does not mean wearing symbols on our bodies, but by the manner of our lives.

“If any one would come after Me, he must deny himself, take up up his cross daily and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24)

Have you chosen to become a person of the cross? Whatever it is that is keeping you from this, pick it up and nail it to the cross. Do you have the courage to say, “I’m going to be a man or woman of the cross”? I hope that you will choose this. Because if you do, then you will really understand what Easter is about next week.

Brad then stepped down to lead us in the sharing of Communion. “Friends, it’s now our sacred privilege to celebrate this supper…”

Indescribable

Today's service had a number of special features that made it somewhat unique. First off, we had two worship teams arrive, each unaware of the other. Perhaps one of the nice features of a small church is the opportunity to demonstrate its flexibility. In addition to the quarter+1 we also had De Elliot Bros. jugband to share some gospel tunes with us.

Pastor Brad Shannon welcomed us with a warm "Good morning" on a chilly mid-summer day. He thanked us for the special 40th birthday surprises and picnic we gave him last week. He then said he would be talking again about taking risks, and in particular, as it applied to forgiveness.

Announcements included the Tuesday evening board meeting here at seven p.m. Also, Mae urged us to make sure we verified our personal information for the church directory. And if you have not had your picture taken, they will use the photo from the last directory. Pam then stood and said that for the next three weeks we will be collecting school supplies to donate to local schools for needy kids.

At this, the two worship teams combined for an introductory number that got us in the mood for the service. The music was special for the musicians as well as the congregation.

Brad read two passages from Scripture before the prayer time. The OT reading was from Psalm 51:1-12. The NT came out of Ephesians chapter 4, verses 1-16.

During the prayer time Rebecca Bruley shared a deeply personal and moving account involving a powerful healing of more than 100 nodules on her lungs. The story gave evidence once more that we have a living God who cares about us intimately.

De Elliot Brothers performed one more song and then Pastor Brad spoke to us from in front of the communion table.

Indescribable

Brad began the message by putting on a backpack and asking if anyone here had carried something heavy for a long time. Nearly all of us have had to carry things, but especially those who have gone canoeing in the Boundary Waters or general camping in the wilderness have known the experience.

"It's bad enough," Brad said, "when carrying something is physically back breaking, but to carry emotional burdens is worse." He was referring especially to grudges. He compared grudges to babies, which was interesting. He pulled a small, fist sized rock from the backpack and held it up. Like babies, we nurse our grudges, we feed them... we help them grow.

He then pulled out and held up an even larger rock, saying that our "grudgette" soon becomes a full grown grudge. This is where we get in trouble.

Brad shared the story of Lamech from Genesis 4, a descendant of Cain. Cain, when he killed his brother Abel, was marked by God who said, “If anyone kills Cain he will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Humans are not supposed to take vengeance, the pastor stated

Lamech, the first bigamist, evidently took Cain’s life and even seemed to glory in it, saying, "If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven," thereby justifying his grudge.

Grudges have tragic consequences, with some being passed on to future generations. Many do not know that Ann Landers was actually a sister of Dear Abby. Though they both gave years of advice to people on how to get along, neither one spoke to the other, having each nourished their perpetual grudges against one another. Sadly, the daughters of these two influential women continue to carry on the unforgiveness and enmity that split their mothers.

Nursing grudges happens in the workplace and it happens in the church. But Jesus came along to tell us there's another way.

In the famous passage from Matthew where Peter asks his Lord how many times he must forgive saying, "Up to seven times?" ... well, Jesus raises the bar. "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

Brad drew our attention once more to the parable about the unmerciful servant who was forgiven much by his master, but in turn was mercilessly brutal to someone who owed him a pittance. The parable ends with what Brad calls "the scariest words in the Bible." From Matthew 18... 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Put down the stone, your grudge... and forgive.

We so easily forget the cost of forgiveness. It cost Jesus the Cross for God to forgive us.

Brad shared story about going to the prom in his ultimate best outfit, feeling jazzed and atop the world, looking spiff with his cane and accessories. His cheer was dampened a bit when a bird, flying overhead, let go a dropping to land on his shoulder. This suit was stained.

So it is that we ourselves have been inwardly stained by our sins, a major source of stain being our unforgiveness.

At this point Brad held up the rocks and said, "There's a place to put these rocks," which were symbols now of our grudges. He carried them to the foot of the cross and urged us to not focus on the rocks, our grudges, but to put our eyes on the cross.

"What is the grudge that you're carrying?"

Afterwards we celebrated the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, followed by a picnic at the Cresman's who graciously hosted the church on their lakefront property.

You Can’t Kill Hope

The weekend’s weather forecasters nearly guaranteed a bad patch of weather for us today, and sure enough the flurries turned to accumulation, with promises of more. This did not deter worship this morning as the sanctuary appeared fairly full once more, despite the dire forecasts.

This did not mean there were no concerns about the weather. The service opened with a discussion regarding the postponing of the afternoon Christmas program, and a decision that next week would be safer. The howling wind and blowing snow throughout the service confirmed the wisdom of this decision.

Jake and Leanne Vanderscheuren lit the Advent Candle this morning to begin this Third Sunday of Advent service. After Darlene’s beautiful introit, we were led in worship by Ellie, Pearl, Robin and Brad. Dana shared two special songs with us during the service.

Today’s Scripture reading:
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Luke 1:47-55

After leading us in a time of prayer Pastor Brad Shannon delivered the message.

You Can’t Kill Hope

Matthew 2 begins with the well known story about the visit of the Magi:

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"

7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Using this passage as a springboard, Pastor Brad shared today who King Herod was, and how Herod is a symbol with much meaning for us today.

King Herod had been a powerful ruler in Israel, having been in command for forty years by the time the Christ child was born. He was successful by currying favor with Jewish leaders through temple improvements. Building projects probably also meant jobs. And his ability to rule Israel in a stable manner gave him points in Rome, since Israel at this time was under Roman rule.

Herod had a weak side, too, however. He was quite paranoid about losing his position and, over a period of time, in an effort to eliminate potential rivals or threats to his power he had his mother, wife and three of four sons killed. In short, he was not a nice guy.

This insecurity helps us understand how a man with power could order the slaughter of all infants under two years of age as he did. He would not permit any rival to challenge his throne.

Pastor Brad used the story of Herod as a metaphor for our own times and lives. The Jewish leaders put up with Herod's excesses because they got something out of it. There is always a cost, however... like high taxes which flowed back to Rome. And the occasional, unusual cruelty. Citing the historian Josephus, we learned how on his deathbed Herod ordered some of Jerusalem's elite citizens to be executed so that at least someone would be weeping when he died. Herod the Great.

In the same way, Pastor Brad indicated that many of us have things in our own lives that bring us perceived benefits but have hidden costs. These are our Herods, and he offered many examples.

Workaholic addiction was the first example he cited. The heightened energy of a workaholic helps him get things done and offers satisfactions, but at what price? How many workaholic dads there are who miss their kids' basketball games, and portions of their childrens' lives because they "weren't there."

Sometimes our Herod is an old hurt which we won't let go of, to which you've become addicted. You may not have deserved the hurt, and it may even have been a long time ago, but it's always waiting for you, especially when you're tired. You've tried to forgive the person who hurt you but have not been successful. Now it's so much a part of your life you don't know who you are any more without it. When you do rid yourself of it, you end up inviting it back into your heart.

"When you become too comfortable with your hurt, Herod is running your life and will ruin it with this hurt," he said.

Your Herod can be the alcohol that abuses you. Or the spouse that abuses you. It can be the job that abuses you day after day.... but you can't let go.

Our Herod can be the voice that says we can ignore the poor. Herod will tell you you've got your own problems, don't worry about those others. But if we do nothing in the face of need, we ourselves are the ones who become impoverished.

The wise men came to Jerusalem asking "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?" The passage in Matthew notes that not only was Herod frightened by this question, all Jerusalem was frightened as well. The city did not joyously rise up at the announcement that a liberator-king had been born. That's because people tend to prefer the misery they know to the mystery that is not yet known. It seems irrational, but it's human nature. Just because you know you are addicted doesn't mean you want to be delivered.

Yet this is what Christmas is about.

Jesus came not to give us a holiday, but to liberate us from our Herods. No matter how much Herod strives to extinguish the hope in our hearts, Jesus lives to keep that hope alive. Herod knows that the birth of the Christ in our lives means freedom from Herod. So he does all he can to quench our hope.

Jesus' entrance into the world means liberation. His presence as infant was a sign that God was opening His arms to us. As a man He told us of a new kingdom, established by God, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. On the cross, this Jesus died to set us free, to be fully alive.

In the Holy Child we see the birth of hope... and a new kingdom, a new hope. You can't kill this hope.

The Grotesque Cross ~ Palm Sunday Service

Pastor Shannon’s introductory remarks went longer than usual and carried a degree of passion in his heart that is difficult to convey here as we begin Holy Week. He spoke about the great disconnect between the celebratory mood as Jesus entered the Holy City amidst waving palms and adulation on Palm Sunday, and the event just a handful of days later when He was crucified on a lonely hill. Pastor Shannon invited us to enter into the events of this week.

He then shared a story by Flannery O’Connor, a significant literary figure of the last century. O’Connor said that all too often Christians tend to minimize the grotesque and power of evil, which then diminishes the force of grace, which is so great.

Why did God choose something so grotesque as a cross? In part, because that cross reveals His pain. In some way, He took upon Himself what we have deserved. And He also has identified with our pain.

Equally important, this cross is the path to our salvation, as He shed His blood to atone for our sins.

And finally, it is a model for us… to take up our own cross, the true path of personal growth.

Introit.
Darlene brought us into worship with her meaningful rendition of The Holy City. Pastor Shannon followed with a Palm Sunday children’s message about the waving of the palms.

After a time of Scripture reading, choruses and prayers, Pastor took the pulpit to present God’s word.

“Before we can say ‘He did it’, we have to say ‘I did it.’ His death on a cross was required because of my sin.”

The passage today’s sermon was drawn from is found in Luke 19:28-44.

2000 years ago, this Holy Week began in a remarkable way, with great anticipation. Who knew then that it would end in a tomb?

It is believed that 2.5 million people gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover. On this particular week, an “old story” was swallowed up in a “new story.” At the Last Supper, Jesus essentially laid it out. “Accept it now that I am the Passover Lamb of old. I am the New Story.”

The passage begins with Jesus riding into Jersualem on a donkey as the crowds went berserk, waving palms and shouting, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

The reality behind the scenes is that the disciples, despite spending three years with the Lord, were still failing to understand the significance of what was about to happen. Mark 14:12 shows that His closest followers were still self-absorbed.

These were the key leaders whom He had trained, having told them all they needed to know, upon whose shoulders the future of the church would rest, and they still didn’t understand.

Jesus knew what awaited Him, an excruciating experience, beyond torture, for He would be bearing away all the sins of the world. He knew, too, that for a time, in death, He would be separated from the Father.

But Jesus did not lecture them or get upset with the pettiness, their failure to understand the significance of the events unfolding all around them. He humbly gave instructions.

All too often, we are also like those disciples, moving too fast and missing what is important. This week, as we get caught up in Easter, we need to take time and make time for our Lord. Easter is more than chocolate bunnies and Easter baskets, or springtime and new life.

During this first Holy Week, the disciples were distracted, too. Jesus invited them to be with Him. Even though we have other things on our minds, He has us on His mind.

Today…. prepare. This week, do not let unimportant things distract you from the important things. Each day, find a quiet place and time. Read passages from the last chapters of Luke. He has gone to the cross for us, and has risen for us… for our salvation.

God is inviting distracted people to meet Him.

Ash Wednesday, A Service of Penitence and Confession

Ashes remind us of our mortality. In the early days of the church Christians fasted for 40 days between Good Friday and Easter. In more recent times the Church decided that in the 40 days before Easter we will bring the cross into focus and call people back to the core commitments of following Christ, remind us that the cross costs us something, and cost Christ everything.

Darlene played the beautiful hymn Beneath The Cross of Jesus for the intro into worship.

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of Thy face
Content to let the world go by, to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.

Scriptures were read from Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
and from the gospel of Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Pastor Brad’s meditations revolved around the heart. Proverbs 23:7 states that “as a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.” In the Bible the heart is considered the seat of emotion, as well as the seat of decisive action. Luke 6:45 speaks of good people bringing good from the good they have stored in their heart, and evil people bring evil from what they have stored within. Faith is a matter of the heart, an internal reality.

Every one of us will die one day. Our heart will stop. But you, your soul, your mind, your intelligence does not ever die, and our bodies will also be resurrected.

Brad gave a challenge to us tonight to consider whether our heart is right. He said he is not asking if your social life is good, if your intellectual life is good, or if your body is in good shape, but if your heart is right before God.

We often prepare for retirement with a 401K, we prepare for health emergencies by getting insurance. We need to be prepared for death by knowing that our hearts are right.

God created us in his image to live in harmony and fellowship with him, but we live in a sin ravaged world. We have been separated and alienated from God, and have turned our back on Him. Christ has broken the bonds of death and God’s gift of salvation is available but we must reach out and accept it.

“Yet even now,” says the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Joel 2: 12-13

We then went forward for the Imposition of Ashes, read a prayer of confession together from Psalm 51:1-17, and sang “As the Deer.”

“You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship You.”