Lutheran Church of Providence
March, 2020 Newsletter
Pastor’s Corner
As we approach the end of February we anticipate many changes. March gives us the hope of spring, especially as we change our clocks once again to give us more daylight to enjoy. (What a way to deceive ourselves.) The weather in March is warmer as plants bloom, swimming pools are uncovered, St Patrick’s Day is celebrated and storms seem to ease up.
One very important item happens that much of the world ignores ― Lent begins. On February 26th Ash Wednesday is observed when we admit our sinfulness and our disobedience to God. Because of our sinful lifestyle we are estranged from God and are condemned to die ― physically and eternally. God, however, out of loving us so much, devises a plan to pay the price for our sin and to bring us back to a restored relationship with Him.
God’s plan is to pay the price of sin for us since we don’t have any way of making up for our sin. God’s plan was to make His Son to be a human like us but without ever sinning at all. And so Jesus was born of a human mother but with God as His Father. Being perfect in every way, Jesus didn’t have to die but He chose to die, in our place, to pay for the sins we (you and I) have committed. His death was very painful and cruel as He suffered for all of our sins. His death (and our death to sin) wasn’t the end. The Father raised Him on the third day and declared that His new life (Resurrection) was our new life also.
On Ash Wednesday we will gather for a light supper at 5:30 PM before we enter God’s house at 7:00 PM to worship Him. Ashes, made from burning last years’ palms from Palm Sunday will be imposed on our foreheads in the sign of the cross. These ashes remind us that God created us out of the dust of the ground and that because of sin when our bodies die, they will return to the dust of the ground. Since we have a soul as well as a body, our souls will return to God in heaven when we believe and have faith that Jesus paid the price for us when He died on the cross.
Weekly, during Lent, we will worship not only on Sunday but also on Wednesday evenings. We will be considering how the Passion of Jesus looks through the eyes of various people. We will see various aspects of our faith in a new light.
This will be an excellent time to invite others to attend church with you being that the service will be shorter and Holy Communion will not be offered. Many people don’t understand about the Church and this will be one way to begin to reeducate them and break down the barriers.
Let’s be diligent in our preparation during Lent both in our private devotions as well as in our corporate worship. Many people will plan on attending on Easter Sunday, however, unless you understand about the how and why of Easter through our pilgrimage of Lent, Easter loses much of its impact and meaning.
I hope to see you weekly as we grow into the new life that God gives us as a free gift.
Pastor Weikart
Our Lenten Focus by Roy Armstrong
Lent, the church-year season that begins on Ash Wednesday, is a time of penitence and spiritual renewal. Some people give up a luxury or a vice during Lent as a form of self-denial; others undertake a project that benefits others. The point isn’t to denigrate ourselves or to see how much we can do without. Instead, Lent helps us reflect on Jesus’ death. As Timothy Keller writes in The Reason for God: “The Christian Gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less.”
This Lenten season please invite your friends and neighbors to one of our mid-week Lenten services to share a light meal and worship. Our recent Sunday Service attendance has been right around the 100 person mark. When I think back six years ago when we joined Lutheran Church of Providence and our numbers were in the twenties, I was worried and there was talk of the church closing. How relieved I am that we had a strong Church Council and President who followed the right road and fought on to keep our beautiful Church open and we were sent a Pastor who saw our potential and kept us growing! With God’s Blessing we will continue to grow and prosper! In the next 30 days please watch for some new security enhancements here at the Church to keep all of us safe during and after worship service!
Lent is based off of Jesus’ time in the desert, in which for 40 days He fasted and prayed and was tempted by the devil before angels came and tended to Him.
Here are seven Bible verses commonly associated with Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season.
Joel 2:12-14
“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing — grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.
Matthew 6:16-18
When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Mark 1:13
And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.
Ecclesiastes 3:20
All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
1 Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
Just a Child of God, Roy Armstrong, Council Vice President