Let us pray

You asked for our hands,
that you might use them for your purpose.
We gave them for a moment, then withdrew them,
for the work was hard.
You asked for our mouths
to speak out against injustice.
We gave you a whisper that we might not be accused.
You asked for our eyes
to see the pain of poverty.
We closed them, for we did not want to see.
You asked for our lives,
that you might work through us.
We gave a small part, that we might not get too involved.
Lord, forgive our calculated efforts to serve you—
only when it is convenient for us to do so,
only in those places where it is safe to do so,
and only with those who make it easy to do so.
Father, forgive us,
renew us, send us out
as a usable instrument,
that we might take seriously
the meaning of your cross. Amen.

Holy Week Services

Sunday, April 1st at 8:45am & 11am: Palm / Passion Sunday

Sunday, April 1st at 5:30pm: Common Table Service – Staci Vaughan will be sharing about her experience on Good Friday last year.

Monday, April 2nd at 7pm: Holy Monday - Foot Washing service, communion will be served.

Tuesday, April 3rd at 7pm: Holy Tuesday - Healing & Anointing service, communion will be served.

Wednesday, April 4th at 7pm: Holy Wednesday – A service of Instruction on the Lord’s Supper.

Thursday, April 5th at 7pm: Maundy Thursday - Stripping of the Altar service, communion will be served.

Friday, April 6th at 7pm: Good Friday - Stations of the Cross service, starting in the sanctuary and ending in the church yard.

Saturday, April 7th at 10am: Holy Saturday - Scripture Reading, Prayer, and Candle Lighting service.

Saturday, April 7th from 11am-2pm: Easter Egg Hunt at the church yard. Lunch will be provided. All children are invited.

Sunday, April 8th at 7am: Easter Sunrise Service – this is with our sister church, Lea's Chapel UMC. Breakfast is furnished by Lea's Chapel (directions on back).

Sunday, April 8th at 8.45am & 11am: Easter Sunday services

Sunday, April 8th at 5:30pm: Common Table Service. Held in the fellowship hall. There will be an art show with the theme of “Light”. Everyone is to bring some finger foods to share.

John 2.13-22

John 2.15 says: "Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle." This portion of scripture we will be focusing on during our Sunday morning worship services. In this passage Jesus enters into the temple and finds an atrocious sight ----- "people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables." (v14) When Jesus sees this he makes a whip and runs them out. This Jesus seems different than the tender and kind Jesus that makes all of his followers happy. Instead, this seems like a Jesus that comes at you with no warning and no conversation. Instead, this Jesus takes the corrupt things and throws them out of his Father's house (see v16). What do you think of this Jesus?

Gimp

I haven't ever had a chance to share with you all a program that I use quite often. I have found it very beneficial to proficient at a picture editing software called Gimp. (the image above I made on gimp in literally 2 minutes) You can find it for free online. Gimp can do much of the same things that Adobe Photoshop can do ----- but it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. I have found it very beneficial for making bulletin covers, blog headers, manipulating photographs, images for websites, and manipulating VBS images for postcards. There is definitely a learning curve ----- and seminary never taught me about these sorts of things. But, I have gotten to be pretty good at it and I feel like I am pretty well versed in the software. I would encourage anyone with a artistic flare to try this out.