Sunday…the culmination of a week’s worth of preparation
by SteveToday was a really good Sunday! It started with Sunday School, where the class I teach had about 20 participants this morning, all interested in learning about Jesus through the series Saving Jesus, produced by the guys at “Living the Questions.” Today’s focus was on “who is Jesus?” and the primary presenter on the video was Matthew Fox (not the guy from “Lost.”) Fox, once a Catholic priest, but dismissed in 1992 by then Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope) for teachings he deemed incompatible with Roman Catholicism, is now an Episcopal priest, and a deep believer in “creation spirituality,” a movement grounded in Christian mysticism. Fox made the distinction between the historical Jesus and what he calls the “cosmic Christ,” continually incarnated in all of creation. Needless to say, our understanding of Jesus was expanded and stretched.
The worship service was excellent, and why shouldn’t we strive for excellence in worship? The choir was superb, and all the music was worshipful and inspiring. The first Sunday in Lent is special in its own right, and it was a joy for me to watch many of you committing publicly to the observance of a Holy Lent, marked by prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. I was moved by your response, hearing from many of you that this service was special to you. There are a lot of good things going on at UGUMC…we’re blessed by the Spirit to be a part of it!
RSS
Talk to me more about fasting..I have tried this but been unsuccessful. I do have to be careful because of balancing some med’s and some health issues..I have felt, however, it would be helpful in my spiritual search.
Went to Sunday School with my younder sister today and worship. Loved the pipe organ of the !st Baptist church in Shelby. Choir was wonderful(not as good as ours though) but Sun. School reminded me of why I am NOT a Baptist anymore.
Remember, I said in the Ash Wednesday sermon that fasting is about showing us the things we can do without. We have so much “stuff” which crowds/drowns out the “still, small voice.” Fasting is a way of keeping things simple, and avoiding being drowned in the trivialities of life.
Martin Luther said, “He wants nothing at all to do with you if by your fasting you court Him as if you were a great saint, and yet meanwhile nurse a grudge or anger against your neighbor.” I disagree that God “wants nothing to do with you” because I believe that God ALWAYS wants to do with us…but, Luther is right that our relationships with each other are what matter to God. So maybe the best fast is to give up grudges and hard feelings. Probably do us a lot more good than giving up soft drinks. sk