Today is the first Sunday in the Lenten Season. Our worship centers on the raising of Lazarus, John 11:1-44. We also celebrate the dedication of young Whit Lowery. Worship leaders include Paula Hitchens, Ben Petty, Tim and Naomi Reddish, Mamie Ruth Blanton, the Sanctuary Choir, and Church Staff.
Lent can be a dangerous time. People come to the church looking for discipline and a new way to live; they come to be challenged—prepared for the heartache and joy of the cross to come. The problem with Lent, however, is a direct outgrowth of this urgency: we contain the season to six weeks of doing good, rather than building a Lent that becomes a life. This, very simply, is what Jesus asks his disciples to do at this climax in the Sermon on the Mount. Do not be holy because it is what the world expects of you; rather, learn to live holy lives because a closer relationship to the God who sees in secret will be reward enough.
– Maryetta Anschutz
