This Week in Worship - Into the Wilderness: 40 Days of Change
5-Week Class on Christian Practices ( STARTS TONIGHT! • 6:30p-8:00p )
No Faith on Tap Tonight! ( 2/26 )
Pancake Breakfast: Donations Needed!
March Events Calendar
but in having new eyes."[Marcel Proust]
Lent is an ancient Christian season that is marked by the forty days before Easter, and has been used as a time of introspection, reflection, and learned humility. The idea of 40 days in the Bible has always marked a season or time of change. Whether it is Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness or Moses' on Mt. Sinai, when people opened themselves to 40 days of spiritual practice or reflection… they changed. The journey and path through that time showed them something new and truthful, and God often showed them new things about themselves. Their fragility, their faithlessness, and ultimately the level of their dependence on God. Beginning this Sunday, I invite you to take this journey as well. As we start this season of Lent, we are going to be asking you to make this a genuine process by giving time, effort and intentionality to it. Each Sunday, we will be offering you ways to walk the path of understanding your dependence on God, and of gaining new eyes to see who you are. See below for our Scriptures and topics in this walk together, and ask yourself now..
“How will I change during these 40 days?”
5 Week Lent Series
Into the Wilderness: 40 Days of Change
February 22nd
Mark 1:9-13 • Beginning in the Wilderness
Jesus is baptized and then immediately driven into the wilderness by the Spirit of God. Why? What is to be learned, accomplished or completed by being driven into the wilderness? We begin with this question this week.
February 29th[March 1st]
Mark 1:9-13 • With Beasts and Angels
Jesus in the wilderness has two groups for company… wild beasts and angels. What are the beasts and angels in your life? How during Lent can you sit with those fears and hopes? Can we learn to be in tension with these during times of growth in our lives?
March 8th
Matthew 4:1-4 • The First Temptation
Jesus is tempted first to provide for himself. Why is this a temptation? How do we rely on ourselves more than God? Why is that wrong?
March 15th
Matthew 4:1-4 • The Second Temptation
Jesus is tempted next, to save himself. Why is this a temptation? What does it mean to lose yourself?
March 22nd
Matthew 4:1-4 • The Last Temptation
Jesus is tempted last to be in charge. Why is this a temptation? We finally see that each week the temptation, at base, is the same… idolatry. To try and be equal to God, rather than a servant and a broken vessel for Him. The crucifixion and passion of Christ must be observed in this way… with an acknowledgment of our idolatry.
5 Week Lent Series
Into the Wilderness: 40 Days of Change
March 1st
Mark 1:9-13 • With Beasts and Angels
Jesus in the wilderness has two groups for company… wild beasts and angels. What are the beasts and angels in your life? How during Lent can you sit with those fears and hopes? Can we learn to be in tension with these during times of growth in our lives?
Scripture Text: Mark 1:9 Shortly thereafter, Yeshua came from Natzeret in the Galil and was immersed in the Yarden by Yochanan. 10 Immediately upon coming up out of the water, he saw heaven torn open and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; 11 then a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with you.”
12 Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by the Adversary. He was with the wild animals, and the angels took care of him.
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Mark 1:9-13
Verse 9
[9] And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
Matthew 3:13; Luke 3:21.
Verse 12
[12] And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
And immediately the Spirit thrusteth him out into the wilderness — So in all the children of God, extraordinary manifestations of his favour are wont to be followed by extraordinary temptations. Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1.
Verse 13
[13] And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
And he was there forty days, tempted by Satan — Invisibly. After this followed the temptation by him in a visible shape, related by St. Matthew.
And he was with the wild beasts — Though they had no power to hurt him. St. Mark not only gives us a compendium of St. Matthew's Gospel, but likewise several valuable particulars, which the other evangelists have omitted.
Sermon Story "From a Hight to a Low" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 3 March 2015 with Scripture from Mark 1:9-13
As we explored last week's thinking towards being pushed into the silderness away from people or even friends and family members, we now look to see how our accompaniment assists us when they seem like they are either beasts or angels. In our beasts, who do we see more our memories or reall people. How do our memories fo our lives affect this time of temptation? Too often, it is not the people who come into our lives as we begin to be tempted to sin against God that are lile beasts, but how we maay have lived or desired to live or dreamed about living in a community with no worries over whether we will have enough to eat, take care of our families or pay our bills or get the proper education for ourselves and our families or even having the proper roof over our heads to live a comfort or what we think comfort should be. How do you see your own internal beasts or demons playing into your choices? Who or what comes into our lives as angels to encourage us such as Scripture that we have previous read or maybe a saintly mother or teacher from school or church or words of encouragment from other relatives or neighbors we live by or come in contact with? We sometimes see in unlikely places angels who prod us to choose the right way as theis young man who was called into full-time pastorate and was studying through a ministerial course of study, but ended up divorced gaining custody of his son who was diagnosed with developmentally delayed status. It was approaching the first Christmas with his son living with him after the divorce and the granting of full custody of his son and the man wondered how he could afford to buy a Christmas tree for their apartment or even presents for his son. Yes, this man went back to drinking at the bar that the hotel-casimo he worked as a night auditor at a wage just above minimum wage. The apartment was a beautiful apartment that was subsidized by Section 8 and receiving medicaid coverage for his son and himslef as well as some food stamps for food, He had an extra dollar or two and deceid to pick some numbers on the keno which he did and he won enough to purchase a christmas tree. He took the money and put it in his wallet separate from any other cash and continue to place quarters in this 21 poker machine at the bar. the bartender saw what he was doing ansked if I was using the money he won when I said no because he put that money away and she was releived. The bartender was relieved and the next thing he knew he was leaving the place and going to the store to buy the tree and decorations before picking his son up at the day care services. To this man, the bartender who was a an angel even though she was also a co-worker. This man shared that there were other times in his life when angels protected him that were people in unexpected places. As we come forward to receive more grace from eating and drinking of the Eucharist, we will sing the Hymn "Forever One" by Ken Bible
1. Creator, Your love is all around us.
Immanuel, Your life is all within.
O Lamb of God, You died, and we are risen.
Hallelujah! You are coming again.
2. Creator, the earth will be a garden.
Immanuel, each heart will be Your throne.
O Lamb of God, we're crying, "Holy, holy!"
God Almighty, we will be forever one!
3. So Lord, I trust You, and I worship You.
How I long for You to fill this temple.
My Lord, I look to You,
Daily wait for You
As I walk with You
In unbroken praise.
4. Creator, the earth will be a garden.
Immanuel, each heart will be Your throne.
O Lamb of God, we're crying, "Holy, holy!"
God Almighty, we will be forever one!
Creator, Immanuel,
Holy Lamb of God,
Forever one!
During the season of Lent, we will be offering a 5-week class on Thursday nights to help you learn about the ways of Christian change during these 40 days. This year, we will be focusing on 5 practices, events or things that the church has historically done in order to be formed as disciples… some of which may surprise you! We’ll be using a using a fantastic DVD curriculum called “Animate” which combines great information with excellent discussion questions and conversation starters. I've personally watched the discussion starters and lecturers and they are great!
We will also have childcare available for kids 4 and under, AND a kids component where they, too, will learn about what we are covering! We are really excited about this program and what it offers to the whole worship community! The class will be on Thursdayevenings from 6:30pm - 8:00pm.
Read below for our topics and evenings:
Worship - Feb 26th
For many Christians, worship is synonymous with just going to church. But this week, we will be challenged to think about worship as a much richer practice, one we can engage in through the entire week.
Sacraments - March 5th
When we take communion each Sunday or celebrate a baptism, what does that really mean? Or more importantly, what does it DO? This week we will learn and talk about what these acts (called sacraments) are all about.
Food - March 12th
The Bible is chock-full of stories of food. Whether it is communion, the Last Supper, mana in the wilderness or the feeding of the 5000, the Bible clearly believes that food is and can be sacred. But what does that mean? Does it mean just eating healthy? Or is there a truly radical way to think about eating and food? This week we will learn and talk about the most fundamental of human and Christian acts… eating and drinking.
Service - March 19th
What is the spiritual value of working for the benefit of others? What happens with us when we offer ourselves and our time to helping others without asking for anything in return? This week we will discuss what service really looks like in our context.
Community - March 26th
Community. We use this word a lot in our church. But what does it mean? How do we think of this word and practice of gathering with others? How can we all remake and be remade by what we offer to Christian community?
Here's what's going on in March!
For more event details, please visit nhunited.org!
Normal Heights United Methodist Church
4650 Mansfield Street
San Diego, California 92116 United States
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