Ash Wednesday is February 22. We will begin a forty day season of reflection on our discipleship. (In case you ever wondered, the forty days is counted as follows: with Ash Wednesday being the first day, and Holy Saturday being the last day and not counting Sundays which are “little Easters,” one comes to forty days.) Jesus calls us to be his “disciples.” Disciple is defined as “a pupil, learner, follower or adherent of any teacher or school of religion, learning, art, etc.” We are called to learn from the Master. But we are also called to teach one another: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” (Matt. 28:19-20a, NRSV, emphasis mine). We are to learn from each other and we are to teach each other. All of us are growing in righteousness in Jesus, who is our head. Lent is a wonderful time for us to intentionally reflect on the areas of our discipleship that could use some mentoring and to intentionally find other believers who can help us in that area. Lent is also a wonderful time for us to joyfully and grace-fully share our areas of strength with others. Do you need help in being disciplined in prayer? Whom do you know that you admire their prayer life? Ask them to mentor you over forty days. Would you like to be more forgiving? Who among us is a model of forgiveness? Ask them to show you how to do this over forty days. Would you like to grow in your tithing or giving? Which brother or sister could show you the gift of generosity? None of us has it all together. Only Jesus was perfect in every area of faithfulness and obedience. But being the loving and Perfect Rabbi, Jesus doesn’t just give us a list of commandments and say, “Go learn this.” Rather, He intentionally brings us together so that we might learn from each other. It is not easy to learn from some one else. It requires humility, and vulnerability and trust and honesty and mercy and kindness. Our cultural pressures strip these aspects of discipleship away from us daily. But to walk the path where Jesus has trod requires us to regain in extra measure that which culture has stripped away. We are to be willing to ask each other for help in humility and we are to share what we have been given with mercy. Jesus showed us how to do this. In the end, all this collaborative learning also makes us better prepared to be a witness for Christ both individually and as a community. Having spent Lent learning from each other, we can be prepared to spend the seasons of Easter and Pentecost sharing what we have learned with the world. I invite each of you to be collaborative learners this Lenten season. Spend the time before Ash Wednesday preparing yourselves to both ask for and to give. Sometimes, the very person we need to ask for help is the very last person we want to ask. Sometimes, the very person we can help the most is the very one that annoys us the most. I invite you to spend the time prior to Ash Wednesday in prayer, asking God to turn your heart into good soil, open and prepared to receive the seed of his Word. Use this time to put behind us old frustrations, resentments, hurts, and animosities. The first two weeks of my Techniques of Speaking class were the hardest, none of us wanted to accept or offer help. But after a while, we came to see how good it was to learn together. That much I clearly remember after more than thirty years. Have a blessed Lent.

 

The Schedules for

February 2012

Lay Readers for February

 

5th Tom Keck Jr.

12th Pat Gerew

19th Joann Ireland

26th Jim Romano

 

Communion Assistants  for February

 

5th Pat Gerew

12th Joann Ireland

19th Jim Romano

26th Jim Sorenson

 

Altar Guild for February

 

5th The Love Family

12th Lennea McGarr & Jane Gerula

19th Marilyn Bowman & Sue Harz

26th The Dormanen Family

 

 

Usher For February

 

5th Bill Love & Jim Sorenson

12th Jim Romano & Chet LaBov

19th Jim Bacon & Vince Sannino

26th Marilyn Bowman & Gerald Swanson


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