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A Message From The Pastors
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Jesus on Trial By Dr. Bob
The clock is ticking down on our "24 Hours that Changed the World," the study and sermon series for Lent. We have been with Jesus and his disciples during the "Last Supper." We have accompanied them to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed and struggled with God about the suffering that awaited him, and felt the kiss of the betrayer, Judas. This week we continue on that Thursday night with Jesus as he is brought before the religious leaders to stand trial. The tension is mounting as all of the disciples except for Peter flee from Jesus, and even Peter ends up denying him.
Lent is the time of personal reflection and self-realization. So, it helps to experience what those first disciples experienced and to try and understand their actions, because in doing so we look at our own thoughts and actions, our own imperfections and failures. This is not an easy thing to do. But if we prayerfully consider our own lives and how we come up short of what God expects, we, then, become aware of God's great forgiving love that supports and strengthens us in our daily lives.
I hope you are reading Adam Hamilton's book and are in a study group grappling with its questions and issues. Let this study and these six weeks of Lent be a time of renewal and rebirth for you in your faith.
This Sunday we will look at those who condemned Jesus, those good, faithful, religious people, who sent him to the cross. They look a lot like us. Join us for worship and Holy Communion. It must be getting close to Labor Day. School has started, football season is kicking off, and we have multiple hurricanes coming across the Atlantic. Please be in prayer for those in the path of Earl, which looks like a major storm, if there ever was one. The words roll off our lips so easily sometimes: I will pray for you. We hear of tragic losses or heart wrenching injustice and our intention is to bring them before God in prayer. So, we utter those words, 'I will pray for you.' The thing is, though, that for many of us, we continue through our day and we never think of it again, at least not until we run into that friend again or read yet another article about the situation for which we intended to pray. The hot, "lazy" days of summer are winding down. Even as a say that, I know that for most of us there weren't many "lazy" days this summer and the "hot" will continue. But, ready or not, it is "back to school" time and back to busier schedules and more hectic days for most of us. Before we get inundated with activities, before we find ourselves caught up in the flood of family needs and work issues, I hope we will take a little time to consider the bigger picture. This Sunday we are going to think about God's vision for us and for our world. |
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