Hello FBC!
“See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him and spit on Him, and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise.”
(Mark 10:33-34)
Of course, what Jesus predicted and announced would happen, is exactly what happened. This is the time of year when Christians around the world are preparing for Easter, or Resurrection Sunday. Some traditions commemorate the season of Lent, which runs from Ash Wednesday (yesterday) until Easter (April 16). This is intended to be a 40 day period of reflection, repentance, and considering the great sacrifice of our Savior and Lord. (It actually is more than 40 days, but in the early Christian tradition, it is the 40 days between now and Easter, but not counting the other Sundays.
So Sunday, “the Lord’s day,” has been seen as a day of celebration, so those days are not part of the period of repentance.) Many Christians choose to give up something during this season, as a way to remember to focus on Christ instead of personal desires.
Our evangelical Baptist churches have not normally participated in Lent (at least not in my experience). But I have for years thought it a good idea to spend the 40 days or so leading up to Easter as a time to reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. As a
pastor
I have also liked to use the time leading up to Easter to pray that God would use His church to effectively share the good news of salvation offered to all through His sacrifice. So whether you participate officially in Lent or not, let me encourage you to be using the days ahead to prepare your heart and mind for the most important celebration on the Christian calendar – the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the grave!
This Sunday we will be remembering His death together again as we share the elements of the Lord’s Supper.
Please join us with a heart prepared through prayer and reflection on your life.
We are nearing the end of the series on the amazing book of Colossians! This Sunday we will look at 4:10-17, and consider some more of the lesser-known, but extremely important co-workers of the apostle Paul. Another great reminder of how critical each part of the Body is, and that there are no insignificant parts!
On March 12, we are having the All-Commissions potluck and meeting following the worship service. This week we also found out that Marc & Sondra Robertson and family will be here, and they’ve asked to have Abigail baptized at FBC that day! So those of you that were here when the Robertsons were here, you can have a reunion with them on March 12. We will invite them to join us for the potluck lunch, and we want to invite any of you who’d like to, to stay and be a part of the potluck (please brings food to share!), and visit with the Robertsons.
When it’s time to start our All-Commissions meeting, we’ll try to make a clear announcement so those who aren’t part of the meeting can slip out. It should be a fun Sunday – we also will be dedicating a few babies in the service that day! Oh, and Daylight Saving Time begins, so “Spring Forward” your clocks the evening of March 11 so you’re on time for church!
Lastly, I always enjoy reflecting on how gracious God has been to me and my family by bringing us here to FBC Brownsville, especially around March 1st, since that’s the day I began here in 2011! So believe it or not, as of yesterday we have been here with you for 6 years! We are so thankful. You are a tremendous church family. We love you and hope and pray for many more years together. We are excited about what God has done here and what He will do in the days ahead!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael