“And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.’”

In his book, 24 Hours That Changed the World, Adam Hamilton reminds us that before Jesus and the disciples ever sat down to eat, he knew that Judas had already agreed to hand him over to the priests, that Peter would deny even knowing him, and that all the others would abandon him.  Jesus knew all this, and yet he showed extraordinary grace toward them at the meal.  Knowing Judas would betray him, Jesus still included him in the mail and even seated him to the left of him in the place of honor.  Knowing Peter would deny him, Jesus washed Peter’s feet.  Knowing that all would abandon him, he called them his friends and prayed for them.  Amazing grace!

Have you ever played the part of Judas or Peter or other ten disciples by betraying, denying, or abandoning Jesus through what you have done or failed to do?  Is there anyone who has betrayed, denied, abandoned or disappointed you that Jesus may be calling you to forgive and be gracious toward?

These are questions to consider as we journey with Jesus to the cross this Lenten season.  It is not an easy journey, is it?  Jesus did not promise the life of a disciple would be easy; in fact, he said it involved carrying our own cross. 

I hope we will all persevere and continue our journey with Jesus despite its difficulties.  Yes, the cross awaits us, but then so does resurrection and new life.

Hope to see you Sunday as we journey together,

 Pastor Donna

Pastor Donna will be offering a Lenten study this year entitled “24 Hours That Changed the World.”  It will examine the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life beginning with the Last Supper, then moving on to The Garden of Gethsemane, The Trial before the Sanhedrin, The Trial before Pilate, The Torture and Humiliation of Jesus, The Crucifixion and finally Christ the Victor.

There are two different class times. The classes will meet for 7 weeks on Thursday evenings at 6 PM in the FLC, beginning February 23 or on Monday mornings at 11 AM in the Sunday Scholar’s room beginning February 27.

If you are interested in being a part of this study, please let Pastor Donna know – There is a recommended book (cost is $20.)   These need to be ordered by February 16, so please let Pastor Donna know as soon as possible.

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday.  It is the season of spiritual preparation for celebrating Easter.  We are invited during this season to observe the spiritual disciplines of self-examination and repentance, prayer, fasting, and self-denial, and reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word.

Pastor Donna will be offering a class on Holy Habits on Tuesdays beginning February 28.  The class will be offered at both 11 AM and 6 PM.  Due to activities in the FLC, the class will be held in the Sunday Scholars’ Classroom.

The Ash Wednesday Service will be at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012, followed by a simple soup and bread supper in the FLC at 6:00 pm.

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday (this year February 22) and lasts forty days (not including the Sundays). Sundays are excluded because those are the days we remember Jesus’ resurrection. Every Sunday is a little celebration of Easter and thus a time of joy.

Historically, the Christian church has recognized Lent as a time to deliberately bring oneself closer to God. Individuals and groups have engaged in Bible study, in mission and service, and in fasting to prepare themselves for Easter.

The forty days of Lent are symbolic of Jesus’ time in the wilderness before he began his ministry. During that time, he was tempted and stayed true to God.

Often Lent is seen as a “giving up” time. But Lent can be an “adding life” time as well. In order to “add to,” we often have to “give up.” For instance, maybe someone wants to give up an hour of television and add an hour for Bible study. What do you need to fast from, sacrifice or give up this Lent in order to add to your life?  The church will be offering a Lenten study called 24 Hours that Changed the World and a Holy Habits (Spiritual Disciplines) class.  Both will be offered on a morning and an evening.  We will also be looking for a way to fast so that we can add to the life others.

Whatever you do, I hope you will draw closer to God during this season.  If you give up chocolate for Lent, I hope that you do it in order that in the sacrifice of something you love, you will remember the sacrifice God made of something he loved in order that we might have life and grace abundantly.

My hope this year is that we won’t just give up something for Lent but that we will also get something from Lent.  Wouldn’t that be nice?

In Christ,

Pastor Donna

A friend of mine was vacationing in Colorado with his wife.  While picnicking at the city park, they made the acquaintance of a couple from Oklahoma.  After talking a few minutes the Oklahoma couple told my friends to stop by their cabin and visit with them some time saying, “Our cabin is easy to spot.  It has a sign hanging over the door which reads:  DIASTOLE

“Do you know what that means?” she asked.  “No,” my friends replied.  “The word diastole describes that state when the heart is resting.  Our cabin is named diastole because it represents to us that place where our hearts come to rest.”

My friends were hiking around one day and sure enough saw the diastole cabin.  The woman invited them in and after coffee, as they were leaving they noticed a wall hanging with a blessing written by this woman:

Lord of Love, from this mountain view may the soul be blessed, may the mind find peace, and may the heart be at rest.

Diastole is indeed that state of rest which the heart muscle must have in order to do its work.  On an electrocardiogram the “diastole” reading is that straight line which represents no activity.  It is necessary, for the resting state of the heart is that time when the heart is being re-charged, re-stimulated so that it can fire again.

We all need moments of Diastole – so that we can be renewed, rekindled, and recreated.  But if we stay in Diastole the resting state turns to death.

By now, I hope most of you know that we are beginning a debt reduction campaign entitled:

  “From Century to Century … Fulfilling God’s Vision”

  “The Heart of First United Methodist Church”

At a recent meaning, one of the members said our heart, our church needed CPR.  I think she may be right.  Have we been resting too long?  Have we been in “diastole” too long?  Are we flat-lining?

If so, then let’s get some CPR and wake up restored, renewed, and reignited so we truly can “fulfill God’s vision” for this church.