|
3/3/2015 The Lighthouse - March 2, 2015 The Worst Weekend of the Year The worst weekend of the year is fast approaching us this week. That's right - it's that dreaded, awful, terrible, no-good Saturday night when we "spring forward" and lose an hour of sleep in the process. Daylight Savings Time begins this weekend. Now don't get me wrong. I love having an extra hour of daylight in the evening to work out in the yard - at least once all the snow is melted and the ground has dried out a little. I just hate the process of getting there - losing an hour of sleep is not my idea of fun. Whoever came up with the idea of springing forward in the middle of Saturday night probably didn't go to an early service on Sunday mornings. I also don't think they had young children - I mean, really, why don't babies and toddlers understand time change? Today I saw a pretty good idea - why don't we spring forward at 3:57 on Monday afternoon and lose an hour of work. In all seriousness, though, I've never met anyone who liked losing an hour of sleep in the spring and only very few who didn't covet the promise of an extra hour in the fall. I believe this speaks to the need we have for rest. We know we need rest, but we don't take it seriously enough to rest well. Far too often we are too busy, have too much to do, and are too afraid of being lazy to actually take the time we need to rest. Even God rested, and God told us to rest - after all, we are not better than God. We need rest to be productive in the time we work and serve God. God thought rest was so important that it is one the Ten Commandments - alongside avoiding idolatry, honoring our parents, not lying, murdering, stealing. In other words, rest is that important. We take the commandment to follow only God and to not kill folks seriously, but we tend to take the commandment to rest for a whole day as optional at best and as laziness at worst. I know I am among the sinners who break this commandment all too frequently and without much thought. I let work creep into my day off, and I stay up too late working on things. Yet I know God wants better for me. When I make the effort to honor the rest time I need, I come away refreshed and renewed for the work God has out before me. When will I learn? May you find some time this weekend - even a weekend an hour shorter than most - to rest in God and to be refreshed by the breath of the Spirit! Blessings on the journey, Jim P.S. Don't forget to set your clocks an hour ahead this Saturday evening! We'll know if you forgot when we see you roll in just in time for coffee. Worship This Week: Sin - Casting Out This past Sunday in worship, we talked about the role that fear plays in leading us into sin. When we are afraid of getting into trouble, we are tempted to lie. When we are afraid someone may hurt us, we are tempted to hurt them first. When we are afraid of failing, we are tempted to cheat. When we succumb to these temptations, we fall into sin, and the result is that our fears grow rather than go away. We are then caught in a cycle of fear and sin. This Sunday, we turn our attention from the root of our sin to how God helps us overcome it. Join us in worship this week as we explore the only thing that can overcome our fears and break the cycle of sin. Wednesday at the Port This WeekJoin us this Wednesday for a home-cooked meal of meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, the best beets you've ever had (yes - they really are that good), and broccoli followed by pudding for dessert. Stay for one of our classes for all ages. Confirmation Class This Week: Who is God? Who are we? In our opening class, our confirmation class discussed the questions "Who is God?" and "Who are we?" This week, the confirmation students are doing daily readings with reflection questions about these questions. If you would like to read along with them as you pray for our class, check out our Confirmation page on our website. Our class also needs your help. This week, we are going to be talking about our favorite verses, and Pastor Jim would like to share some of the favorites of the congregation. If you would be willing to share your favorite and why it is your favorite, please email it to Pastor Jim. This Sunday, our class will discuss the question "What does God do for us?" Please pray for our students, their families, and Pastor Jim as their teacher. Thinking about Camp this Summer? Do you want your kids to have fun, make new friends, and grow in faith this summer? Camp Overlook offers Christian camp experience for various ages throughout the summer, and Port Church recognizes how a Camp Overlook experience can have a wonderful impact on a child. To help kids go to summer camp, PRUMC will pay the deposit of youth and church members as long as the registration is turned into the church office by 4/26/15. For more information, check out Camp Overlook online or contact Pastor Jim or Dinah in the church office. Happy camping! Living in CommunityPlease pray for the renewal of our church throughout the season of Lent. Please pray for our confirmation class this week as they continue to explore who God is and who we are in relationship to God. We give thanks for Dianna and Bob Chandler's safe return to us from their time away. Many thanks to everyone who helped out and kept things going for us in Dianna's absence! Please pray for Dinah and her rest and renewal as she and Chris take some well-deserved time away.
|
News and UpdatesFind out what is going on at Port Republic UMC this week and in weeks to come! Archives
January 2019
Categories |
RSS Feed