For us did fast and pray,
Teach us to overcome our sins,
And close by You to stay.
(UMH 269)
Today marks the beginning of another Lent, an opportunity for you to draw closer to God through intentional prayer and practice in these 40 days until Easter. The season will kick off for us at Flemington UMC with a brief Ash Wednesday service at 7:00pm over Facebook live – I pray you will participate.
Even without the distance created by an online service, I still think this year’s service would be a little different than in years past. It’s said that we in the West (and America in particular) have developed a comfortable distance from our own mortality, a distance that can separate us from the eternal reality of God’s love. After this last year, however, I wonder if that is still the case. Fear and the reality of our own frailty has been on every mind in different ways since roughly this time last year.
What has that done for how you see your life?
What has it done for how and what you believe to be true about God?
There is good, good news for each and every one of us, good news that finally and emphatically is demonstrated in fullness on the coming Easter Sunday. Lent is a time for each of us to prepare ourselves to receive and believe this fundamental story about the nature of all things: the foundation of our reality is that of divine love deeper than we can fathom yet available to each of us, every day.
This can be a day of repentance, of setting aside habits and behaviors harmful to your further exploring that reality. Please, take some time to reflect and prepare yourself for the necessary growth to live abundantly this Lent and beyond.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Ben
Announcements
Ash(less) Wednesday Service Tonight, 7:00PM, on Facebook Live
Lenten Small Groups Forming Now Around “Words of Life”
We will have Zoom sessions on Sunday morning and Tuesday afternoon exploring Adam Hamilton’s new study “Words of Life.” It’s a look at how the Ten Commandments shape and influence faithful living today. There is space for you at either time – don’t be shy! Books are available in the church office for $18, or you can purchase your own copy through Amazon where a Kindle version is only $12. See you there!
Continuing Coffee Hour Over Zoom
Laura Newton will host a weekly time of conversation and connection at 11:30 am after our worship service each week. Login available at 11:15am or conclusion of worship, whichever is later.
Here is a link to that time –
https://zoom.us/j/97755587686?pwd=NVdETlJhTmZncmpCdi85UUJOanJLUT09
If you have questions or need help, you can ask Pastor Ben or Laura. Don’t be shy, you are missed and a part of this church family, too!
New Upper Rooms are Available in the Church Office
The new Upper Room Daily Devotionals are also available now. If you’d like to pick yours up, Gretchen is in the church office from 9am-noon Tuesday – Friday each week. Please call ahead so she can set whatever you are picking up out for you.
Staying Connected
You will find every newsletter, worship service, devotional, and additional material posted to our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/FlemingtonUnitedMethodist/
Even if you don’t use Facebook, you can access everything we have there. If you do have a Facebook account, “like” to follow our page and be notified when new things are posted or when videos are about to go live so you don’t miss anything.
If you have any difficulties accessing any of those links, please reply to this message or call the church office at (908)782-1070 and we will get you connected right away.
A Message from Pastor Ben