AFFIRMATIONS OF FAITH - Prayer

As Easter people, we believe God is Lord of both life and death. 

We believe that in an astounding act of grace, Jesus suffered and died on the cross to save us from our sins.

We believe, three days later, Jesus was raised from the dead, promising us salvation, not because we deserve it, but out of love, through grace.

 We believe we are called to respond to that gift of grace, not out of duty, but in gratitude, to seek peace, care for the ill, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, empower the oppressed and welcome the outcast; to carry on Christ's work until he comes again.

Because, as Easter people, we are confident Christ will come again. Alleluia! Amen.

The other day I came upon a devotion that spoke about a particular painting that had hung in the back of a church that the author had known as a child. As I read the description of the painting, I thought to myself that I have seen that picture at sometime but the picture I recalled seeing was by the artist Warner Sallman of Jesus knocking on the door.
 Yet the writer attributed the painting to a Holman Hunt this I thought must have been an error. The picture sounded the same, but because the devotion focused on the painter and his thought about the picture I decided to do more research. Though the descriptions seemed to match, the author of the devotion was describing a different artist picture. This caused me to investigate and locate the artist and the picture mentioned in the devotion.

What a wonder the Internet is. I was able to locate not a Holman Hunt but a William Holman Hunt a British artist that painted nearly one hundred years before Sallman. Hunt, a British artist, was well noted in his own time. His paintings hang at the British Museum and National Gallery in London. The devotion focused on his unveiling of his painting entitled "The Light of the World." When he had completed the painting, he invited friends to a private showing. All marveled at the painting until one particular friend pointed out that there seemed to be an error in the painting. "Uh, Holman - it's a beautiful painting. But - didn't you forget something?" "What did I forget?" The friend said, "The handle. There's no handle on the door." To which the artist simply replied, "Oh! No, I didn't forget the handle. When Jesus knocks on the door of your heart - the handle is on the INSIDE."

In my research of the similar paintings by two famous artist I also discovered that Sallman painting of Jesus is titled "Christ at Heart's Door” which lead me to believe that Sallman himself was aware of the story behind Hunt’s (an earlier generations famous artist) rendition of Jesus' famous statement "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11: 9-10.

This exercise reminded me of the breadth and depth art can have. As I looked at both of these paintings I was reminded of a higher level to the meaning the pictures are conveying. I have seen various Sallman paintings over the years in countless churches yet I hadn't stopped to observe them in a way that allowed them to truly speak to me. Analogously our spiritual lives are the same. We don't really spend the time we need in seeking out the Holy. We expect God to do it all. Like what the artist William Holman Hunt wanted us to recognize in his painting we need to be about the task of working with God. We need to open ourselves to receive what God is showering on us. What Jesus is conveying to us are action words (verbs); ask, search, and knock! "And it will be given you."

If you do not perceive God as a real presence in your life maybe it is because you haven't paid enough attention, haven't looked beyond the obvious, haven't put forth effort? Remember Christ is at the door waiting for you.

Together in Christ,

Pastor Lane

P.S. check out the artists and painting mentioned above, they can be easily found on the internet.

Join me for services this Holy Week

 Palm Sunday services this weekend

(John 12:12-13)"On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, {13} Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord"

Maundy Services- 7 pm Thursday April 5th

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 ESV    

     For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Friday Evening Services 7 pm April 6th

 -Isaiah 53:5-6     “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Join our services on Easter Weekend!

John 20:1-31 ESV   "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. ...

Let us Celebrate our Risen Jesus!

He gave His life that we might be free!

The most precious text of John 3:16 declares that "whosoever" believes in Jesus will be saved. So the invitation is to all who are willing to accept the truth. But the sad fact is that not all are interested in salvation. So only those who are genuinely interested and meet the simple conditions will reap the benefits. Therefore though "all" have the provision only "many" or a "few" will benefit from it, as they seek for it.

What Is "Enough

 Remember this saying, "A few seeds make a small harvest, but a lot
of seeds make a big harvest."  Each of you must make up your
own mind about how much to give. But don't feel sorry that you
must give and don't feel that you are forced to give. God loves
people who love to give.  God can bless you with everything you
need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others.  The Scriptures say, "God freely gives his gifts to the poor, and always does right."

What Is "Enough"?
Too often we humans are dissatisfied with our lot. Cultural messages stoke our dissatisfaction, encouraging us to believe that "enough" is just out of reach, and that we need to keep striving for it.
It's a very old problem, one illustrated in a short story published in 1886 by Leo Tolstoy called "How Much Land Does a Man Need?" (www.katinkahesselink.net/other/tolstoy.html). Pahom, a peasant, purchases a small tract of land. The harvest is good. His debts are paid. He is content. But soon he yearns for more.
One day he hears of more land that is offered at "one thousand rubles a day." How much land that would be? "As much as you can go round on your feet in a day," Pahom is told. The next day he sets off at dawn and walks and walks without resting.
As the sun is about to set, he is still far from his starting point. He begins running, his heart beating like a hammer. He reaches his goal just in time and falls to the ground. When a servant comes to help Pahom to his feet, he is dead. "Six feet [of land] from his head to his heels was all he needed," writes Tolstoy.
The good news is that God's "more than enough" is not an offer to indulge in "more, bigger, better." Instead God's abundance turns us toward others. As the 2 Corinthians reminds us: God can bless us with more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others. May you be blessed to bless others through our gracious, generous God who provides more than enough.

Together In Christ,
Pastor Lane

Discovery Weekend

 

Spiritual Entrepreneurs

begins September 23/24

During every period of renewal, the church has been univer­sally committed to six theological principles. These 6 principles for risking renewal are:

1. The Lordship Principle: a clear focus on Jesus Christ as the object of faith.

2. The Biblical Principle: scriptural truth as the primary source for what we

believe and do.

3.The Liturgical Principle: discovery of new worship forms.

4. The Covenant Principle: commitment to the integrity of membership.

5. The Priesthood Principle: equipping the laity for ministry.

6. The Leadership Principle: spiritual entrepreneurship.

The church must have Christ-centered persons; they must be spiritual entrepreneurs who are committed to these God inspired principles. Commitment to the prophetic message of these principles is essential for renewal to take place in the church today. Join us as we explore these Godly concepts in an effort to gain renewed passion and faithfulness.

Church renewal is more than an increase in numbers and budgets. Many gimmicks can be employed to persuade people to come and sit in church pews. If our only goal were to increase attendance, we could even pay people to attend church. But until people become committed to being faithful to the will of God, their attendance is no more meaningful than membership in any other human organization or club. Church renewal consists of people in community with one another, dreaming God's vision, believing Christ's victory, and living out the Spirit's work. The evidence of renewal will be seen in transformed lives. Join us for this journey of renewal.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Lane

From the Upper Room

The Lord says, "I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise." -Isaiah 43:20-21 (NRSV)

FOR the past year or more, economic conditions worldwide have been difficult. Most of us have family, friends, and co-workers who have suffered pay cuts or even the loss of jobs, and perhaps we are living under the threat of further layoffs ourselves. It seems that nobody is exempt from this crisis. Some of us get up every day questioning, "Is this the day?" We rehearse reasons why our job is more important than our fellow workers' when in fact we know that each of our jobs is vital and each of us is equally important.

As I have become more and more dispirited, I remember the biblical account of Abraham preparing to take his son Isaac up on the mountain and sacrifice him. As a result of Abraham's trust and commitment, God provided a way out for him by sending a ram to sacrifice instead of Isaac.

Companies and organizations are doing all they can to survive. I firmly believe that no matter how difficult life seems, even in the throes of such a bad economy, we can trust God. We can stay committed to doing that, knowing that we are important to God and believing that God will provide "a ram in the thicket" for us.

Shawana A. Brown (Tennessee, USA)

Our Prayer
Faithful God, no matter how difficult the circumstances may get, help us to focus on who we are and to whom we belong, trusting that you alone will supply all that we need. Amen.

God, not a job or our bank account, is the source of our security.

Easter’s meaning

In a 2010 Barna Group survey, 67% of Americans surveyed knew that Easter is a religious holiday. But only 42 percent connected its meaning to Jesus’ resurrection. And only two percent of adults said they would describe Easter as the most important holiday of their faith.

Not everyone who connects Easter to religion has the facts straight. Two percent of Americans said Easter is about Jesus’ birth. Another two percent said it’s about Jesus’ “rebirth.” And one percent said it’s a celebration of his second coming. Another three percent described Easter as a celebration of spring or a pagan holiday.

“’Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man’s nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven …’ (Article II – Of the Resurrection of Christ p.60) …’He is eternal Savior and Mediator, who intercedes for us and by him all men will be judged.’ (Article II – Jesus Christ p.67)” The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2008: Our Doctrinal Standards.

In the same survey, 31 percent of active churchgoers said they’d definitely invite an unchurched friend to worship with them on Easter weekend.

This Easter, share the truth and joy of the holiday with someone who doesn’t know Jesus. News of the resurrection is too good to keep to ourselves!