Pastor Nate’s Peace…

We live by faith not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7

February for me is the month where faith becomes our focus.  This month is a transition from all our celebrating in the season of Christmas, Epiphany and the Baptism of Our Lord to the hope and promise of discovering what God has in store in the New Year as our congregation finishes January with its Annual Meeting.  February usually hosts the beginning of Lent and our faith journey reflects upon Jesus’ sacrificial life, death and resurrection.

In the twelfth chapter of Hebrews the heading for this section in my Bible reads “God’s  Discipline Proves God’s love.”  God gives us Jesus in order to make clear that as God’s children there is nothing that God would withhold from us to be heirs of the kingdom of God.  February is a month that we are called through the discipline of Lent, putting faith first as a priority to delve deeper into a fuller understanding of Jesus sacrifice for our sins, for our lives and for our eternal being.  Hebrews 12:2 states,

“Looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”

How do we take on the season of Lent by putting faith first?  For many of us it is coming to the soup supper (5:00-5:45 pm) and worship on Wednesday evenings (6:00 pm).  It may also include taking something on or giving something up during the weeks of Lent.  Perhaps Lent is a time to reflect upon how God has impacted your life, your thinking and your actions?  I recently read these words to ponder about one’s faith.

When you were a child, what were your dreams for your life? When did God enter into those dreams?  God has a vision for the all of humankind, so how is God's vision for the world realize a personal transformation into a Christ-like disciple who is captured by God's dream to touch and change the world with Christ's love?  It is never too late to begin or develop living God's dream. You can start today.  God draws us closer in faith, let us consider the discipline of Jesus Christ in our season of Lent.

In our Lenten discipline we will journey to the cross once again, we will share in the various stops along the way and tour Jerusalem in the year 30 AD to see the faith of Jesus and his followers.  We will have opportunity to walk the way of the cross as if we were with him.  See the article “Worship Matters…” for the full worship schedule.