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February 19, 2021
Dear Family in Christ,
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he was “with the wild beasts.” (Mark 1:13) What was Mark trying to say? He may have been referring to threats from wild animals. But “wild beasts” symbolically remind us of the troubles and terrors we also face in our “wilderness” times.
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The “wild beasts” of our own temptations, loneliness, fear, and the like. Jesus handled difficult situations by doing God’s will and spurning all else. We, too, will find victory as we stay on God’s track and keep the “wild beasts” at bay.
St. Mark encourages us to do God’s will instead of submitting to temptations and fears. Referring to Jesus' victory over temptation, Mark writes: “the angels waited on him.” We, too, can count on God’s help when we face and overcome the “wild beasts” of life.
May God's Love and Peace be with you+
Blessings,
Mo. Allison+
551-697-6133
Please enjoy the following Daily Devotional for Lent from Living Compass:
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LENTEN BIBLE STUDY
"Walking with Jesus"
Wednesday
2/24, 3/3, 3/10, 3/24
at 6:30 pm
Copies of the study have been printed and are available for pick up in the chapel and church narthex, or we will be happy to mail a packet to you. Call the church office 609-368-5922
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Please join us this weekend for worship in person (church) or online |
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The Daily Case Rate in Cape May County has come down and we are now able to re-open the church for worship. Please join us if you are comfortable. Social distancing will be observed. We ask that you RSVP via our website, as we are limited to 25 people in the church.
We will continue to stream the service on Sundays at 9 AM via Facebook Live and post it on our website at 11 AM.
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The website to pre-register for the vaccine is live, click here. To make an appointment by phone, call 855-568-0545 during the hours of
9 AM - 9 PM.
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Spiritual Reflection: Questions for Lent |
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Lent is the season to augment, or perhaps revive, practicing spiritual disciplines. Professor of Liturgy, Laurence Stookey asserts that Lenten disciplines should drive deeply into the religious psyche by asking questions such as these:
- What progress am I making in sharing gladly what I have with others, particularly with the stranger and the poor?
- What attitudes do I convey to those who irritate me? How can awareness of my own need of God's grace enable me to be more gracious to them?
- How has my sense of interconnectedness in corporate worship grown of late, and how can I move ahead in appreciating the contributions and needs of other members in the congregation to which I belong?
- Am I as charitable and thoughtful to family members as to others? Or do I “take it out” on my family when life at school or work gets hectic?
- Can I redistribute my long-range personal budget in order to have more money to give away?
- When I hear someone being unjustly maligned, do I speak up to correct the record, or am I a silent accomplice?
- In devotional acts of prayer and reading, am I increasing my attention span and discovering new ways of listening rather than of talking, of giving thanks rather than of complaining?
- As I uncover and attempt to deal with one level of prejudice in my life, what other levels do I find lurking underneath, and how can I confront them?
- In addition to intercessory prayer, what habits can I develop that allow me to be more responsive to the sick, the distressed, and the bereaved, particularly when their needs emerge suddenly and require immediate attention?
- Am I, by consistent attendance at worship, a witness to others of the worthiness of the God I follow? Or am I, by my sporadic attendance, suggesting that God is worth serving some times, but not others?
May these questions drive us more deeply into the spiritual disciplines of Lent.
Amen.
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Dear Friends,
For this weekend’s prelude, we will hear Aria da Chiesa by Georg Muffat (1653 - 1704).
Muffat was a well-known composer and organist of the Baroque era. His family, of Scottish descent, lived in France. Muffat was educated as a musician in Paris, where he studied with Jean-Baptiste de Lully. He held many prestigious appointments throughout Europe in the years that followed, perhaps most notably as Kappellmeister for the Bishop of Passau.
Enjoy the music - and until we meet again, take care and stay well!
David
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There is an old adage: “The best thing about giving is that the reaction is always greater than the action.” Think about it. Is that true?
Most gifts bring joy to the giver and the receiver. The pleasure is now doubled. Obviously, the gift plus doubled pleasure is greater than the gift alone. Even if the gift was a wrong choice, the reactions of both parties, added to the gift, become more than the gift itself.
How much greater than the gift can the reactions become?
Consider this: When driving in traffic, have you allowed another driver to enter the road in front of you? Later, did that driver allow cars to enter, and then those drivers did, too? Or, if you were entering from the side, were you irked by the driver who wouldn't let you in? Pleased by the driver who would? Did you react with thoughtfulness? If so, your gift was courtesy; your reaction part of “the ripple effect,” which doesn’t just add reactions to gifts, it multiplies them! We seldom know how many ripples our gifts create.
Church offerings multiply this way. Rippling across the church and around the world into homes, schools, farms, shelters, and hospitals, they affect communities and individuals in ways we’ll never see. Time doesn’t destroy them. We are blessed by such giving … but greater still, are the multiplied reactions to our gifts and the blessings they compound.
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Gloria Parker on February 22nd,
Sandra Harmon-Weiss & Katie Taylor on February 23rd, and Charles Parker on
February 27th!
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Joseph & Lisa Griesbach on February 25th!
and
Richard & Evelyn Pfaltzgraff on February 27th!
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If you are planning to make a purchase on Amazon, consider shopping at AmazonSmile. Same products, same prices, same services as the Amazon you know. The difference is that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchase to The Branches.
Thank you!
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Day by Day devotional booklets for February, March and April 2021 are available in large print and small. Copies are in the church narthex and Chapel. Please help yourself, or we would be happy to mail one to you.
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Altar Flower Chart for 2021 |
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A new Flower Chart for the upcoming year is posted in the church narthex. If you would like to remember a loved one on a special date, please sign up on the chart, call the church office or email jultaylor9425@gmail.com.
If you signed up last year for flowers during the time we were closed - April to September - your dates have been carried over to the 2021 chart.
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Wednesday Music with David & Cheryl |
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Mini concerts with David and Cheryl are held on Wednesdays and streamed on Facebook Live at 3 pm. Plan to join us!
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A Church Directory for the new year has been prepared. Copies are available in the church narthex and chapel. If you would like a copy mailed to you, please email the church office at jultaylor9425@gmail.com or call 609-368-5922. |
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Lectionary Text for
The First Sunday in Lent
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Saturday 5:30 pm in person (church)
Sunday 9:00 AM in person (church) and
We are observing social distancing and the number of people allowed in the church is limited. Please RSVP via our website.
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Daily Office and Study Links |
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