Pastor's Message
March 2009
To the Children of God:
Lent comes with its wilderness experience for our journey on earth. So much is happening as we enter into this time of reflection and turning towards the Rising Son. The world economic system, and much of life itself, seems to be facing the sunset and even a cloudy night. There are a few of us who walk in the wilderness without a clearly marked path to guide us or a compass to help us move in the right direction. Spiritually speaking when darkness comes over us in the wilderness we should just stop walking. Instead of trying to move forward it would be better to sit down and be still. We might want to stop talking and listen to what is around us. It may be a time to pull over to the side of the road and wait. If you are traveling with others you might light a small fire and sit together until the Son rises upon your lives. Even when we are in the wilderness, and fearing we have lost our way, together we can remind each other that the Son will rise. We can turn to the east and wait to feel the warmth of and to see the light of the Son.
Emmanuel, as a community of faith, will begin to gather together in several ways during Lent and over the next 23 months. (Please remember I have a two year term call to Emmanuel as the transformational pastor. We will have to decide at the end of those two years if we wish to walk together for a longer amount of time.) These gatherings are meant to help us align our lives with the way of God.
First, we will meet on Wednesdays for a meal and then worship. Due to ecological and economic concerns we will meet in the lower level for most of our worship services during Lent. Second, I will invite anyone who wants to begin a journey looking at the Gospel of Mark to meet with me each Thursday evening beginning March 5. We will meet at a local coffee shop to read and experience the good news from Mark’s perspective. Third, a Transformational Team will be brought together to help Emmanuel find how God wishes to use it today and tomorrow. Their first training will take place here at Emmanuel on March 14 beginning at 8:30 AM and end around 4:00 PM. Fourth, the elected leaders and other leaders of the congregation will gather together with the fledgling Transformation Team on March 28 to wrestle with God’s purpose and goals for Emmanuel. The location of that retreat and time will be announced after the next council meeting in March. There will also be the development of a Mutual Ministry team that will help to periodically assess the health of the congregation, pastor and staff.
We are on a journey. During Lent we are asked to take seriously what it means to be the followers of Jesus Christ. Silence, reflection and listening to God’s voice are meant to be a part of Lent and our walk as Christians. I look forward to this adventure and to the life God takes us on even in these times. God is good all the time. All the time God is good. Let us turn and look to the east for a sign of this truth.
One of Christ’s servants,
Pastor Dave - Child of God