Pastor’s Page – March 2021
Greetings Highlands United Methodist Church,
This month, we find ourselves in the liturgical season of Lent. This is a time of reflection, prayer, anticipation, and preparation. Very often this time is used by some to better a mental or physical attribute of one’s self, but I would like to offer an alternate opportunity. I invite us all to consider our relationship to God, our church, and to one another in fellowship. I invite us all to reflect on the five promises that all United Methodists make the day they join or reaffirm their membership in a local church or in the membership of The United Methodist Church.
These five promises are to give of our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness. As we progress into the season of Lent, I would like to invite each of us to consider each of these promises individually over the course of the next five weeks.
- Week 1 – Prayers (Feb. 28th – Mar. 6th)
- Spend twenty minutes each day reflecting on my prayers. What am I praying for? Who am I praying for? Are my prayers focused on myself and my needs or the mission and vision of God’s church and the care of others? Where are my prayers focused, and where does God want me to focus my prayers?
- Week 2 – Presence (Mar. 7th – 13th)
- Spend twenty minutes each day reflection on my presence. Where do I place my priorities? Am I making room for your family? For God? For the Church? Ask God for the areas in your life that you could devote more time to the work necessary for building the Kingdom of God.
- Week 3 – Gifts (Mar. 14th – 20th)
- Spend twenty minutes each day reflecting on my gifts. Where do I place your wealth and your talents? Am I giving of my gifts to build the Kingdom of God? Could I do better? What ministry is God calling me to make disciples in? Can I do more?
- Week 4 – Service (Mar. 21st – 27th)
- Spend twenty minutes each day reflecting on my service. How have I served God in the last year? What opportunities did I feel called to? Did I answer that call? Am I still called to do it? Where does God want me to serve in the church, community, world?
- Week 5 – Witness (Mar. 28th – Apr. 3rd)
- Spend twenty minutes each day reflecting on my witness. How do I witness to others of the grace of God in Jesus Christ? Can people look at me and see Christ? How can I be a better witness? Who needs to hear about the grace of Jesus Christ?
May the blessings of heaven be upon us all as we anticipate the celebration of the Resurrected Jesus Christ. May God comfort you and change you this Lenten season into the person of Christ for the transformation of the world.
Your Brother in Christ,
Pastor Kevin