Pastor’s Paragraph - February 6, 2020
Although the beginning of Lent is still several weeks away, I wanted to invite you to begin thinking about what this upcoming season might mean for you. Since the end of 2019, I have noticed that my book list keeps growing with titles that involve healing, especially healing the divides and painful places/spaces/experiences we have within ourselves and within our communities. Our sermons for the winter also began with conversations about healing as we explored the stories at the beginning of the gospel of Mark that help us remember that Jesus' ministries involved teaching and healing. As his disciples we are called to be involved in his ministries of healing, learning, and growing. With this in mind, I want to make a special invitation to you the Time to Pause lunch. The Christian Education Ministry often offers this opportunity to the first Sunday of Lent - this year on March 1st. In addition to enjoying lunch together and the connections and conversations that happen when we visit and break bread together, we will have special stations for you to rotate to if you would like.
Heather from Keep Indianapolis Beautiful will help us think about how we can be part of healing and restoration through creation care and environmental efforts. Joy, the author of Shift, will help us think about how we receive healing through God's beautiful world and how these gifts can offer us pause and time for prayer and meditation. Shelby - a U Indy nursing student and participant and leader of QUEST and Engaging Young Adults will help us connect with our Maker who molds us with love and grace through the forming of clay creations. Nicole from the Co-op Play Academy will also share her special gifts of working with children with us.
We hope you will come, and we hope you will use these next few weeks to pray about and reach out to someone who could come with you who does not currently have a faith community.
Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry.
Psalm 147:1-9
