This week, we come to a story in John that contains THE most famous Bible verse in the world (John 3:16)—used as an assurance of salvation for people who believe in Jesus and as a battering ram and altar call for those who do not. But within this soundbyte, there is more. There is a story of a person who is doing well in life, but is still searching for something. Jesus’ words to Him are an invitation; a perplexing and mysterious invitation to the adventure that is a whole journey of faith. It is hard for Nicodemus (and for the rest of us) to accept Jesus’ invitation because this journey is one of light, meaning we would be fully seen and fully known. And being fully loved worth that kind of exposure? How can we carry God’s illuminating grace to our corners of the world, even as we feel our way forward on our own journeys?

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This week, we come to a story that many of us don’t imagine when we think of Jesus; a story of Jesus’ anger, outrage and zeal; the story of Him turning over tables in a sacred place. The story of Jesus’ response to the temple being made into a marketplace was profound and may have been another step toward his ultimate demise on the cross. He refers to raising up a new temple in three days — something his disciples later remembered as a foretelling of his resurrection. How might we raise up as the Body of Christ and be a holy temple — a holy dwelling place of God — in the world?

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This second week of our Lenten sermon series (“What are you Up To?”), we come to Jesus’ incredibly challenging words about discipleship, calling those who would follow Him to “take UP your cross”. What does this mean? Are we to expect suffering and death like Jesus on the cross? Jesus was very clear that following him might not be a smooth ride. To take up the cross was to lose one’s life — to let go of certain expectations of safety and acceptance in order to stand for the Gospel message of love. How are we to take up the causes of Jesus — justice, righteousness, and mercy– in our day?

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This Sunday we continue on with our sermon series for Lent that began on Ash Wednesday, but providing continual orientation to the journey ahead. This series’ intent is for us to reframe this reflective season; to focus more on what Jesus is “up to” and what He is all about in order to better consider how to follow Him. Rather than trying to make Lent an exercise in willpower or self-discipline by giving something up, what can each of us be up to? What can we as a community be up to? What is God up to within us? Let the journey begin! We are in it together…

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We hope you can join our annual Ash Wednesday service tonight at 7:00 PM as a reflective and meaningful kickoff to the season of Lent. This will also be the beginning of a new sermon series (description below). Tonight will include the imposition of ashes for those present in person and also a celebration of communion.

 What Are You UP to?

Lent is often known as a time of giving something up in order to make room in our lives for spiritual pursuits. Rather than just “giving up” in Lent, the scriptures ask us to consider all that Jesus is “up to” and all that He asks us to be up to in His name. Instead of bemoaning what we can’t do, or used to do, in a culture where “measuring up” to external standards seems impossible, this Lent we will celebrate the small things that we can do right now to respond to God’s call in our place, for our time.

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