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Lent 2019

February 19, 2019

Journey Back: A Lenten Worship Series

March 6 – April 14, 2019

Written by Tim Johnson, Seasons of the Spirit

Lent is a season of unfolding honesty and truth-telling about our lives and our world. It begins with Ash Wednesday and the humble recognition that we are all human beings with finite lives. This is a leveling confession because no one is exempt from the dust from which we are formed or the ashes to which we return. We are all equal in those ashes, from those with the greatest wealth and power to those who have little or nothing at all. There is no hierarchy of value or importance in Ash Wednesday or the journey of Lent that follows. In boldly acknowledging our humanity while embracing God’s love as our destiny, we become immune to the virus of fear on which systems of domination continue to depend in order to maintain power and control.

We live in a time when truth is questioned, yet the need for the truth-telling of Lent remains greater than ever. Social media and those who would exploit this modern technology make it possible to formulate a “truth” that conforms to self-interest and is often at the service of domination systems. The melting glaciers of climate change, for example, are justified in an imperial “truth” unwilling to relinquish power and control. Lent gives us a lens for finding truth in the headlines and our daily lives. It draws us into a narrative of God’s people living with and resisting exploitative systems of domination; that narrative illuminates the times in which we live.

The journey of Lent begins by engaging us with the theological and interpretive question: Which God of scripture will we follow? Will we journey within a religious tradition that sees God as part and parcel of a domination system or will we journey within a religious tradition that embraces a liberating God of creation, known in and through relationship? Wes Howard Brook, in his book Come Out My People, notes that both religious traditions are in scripture. How we answer this question will determine the truth we discover as we journey through Lent.

Weekly Worship Experiences

  • Ash Wednesday (March 6, 7:00 pm) – We begin our journey back by confessing our brokenness and reflecting on God’s grace and forgiveness. This is a special combined service with our congregation, First Congregational Church, and Evangelical United Church of Christ. Service begins at 7:00 pm at EvUCC.
  • A Place of Justice and Grace (March 10, 10:15 am) – We begin our Lenten journey remembering the challenges of the Israelites as they journeyed away from slavery, through the desert, and toward a new beginning. (Deuteronomy 26:1-11)
  • Journey toward Trust (March 17, 10:15 am) – As we continue this Lenten journey, we find ourselves with Abram and Sarai looking to the star-filled sky and receiving a promise from God. (Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18)
  • Fed by the Glory (March 24, 10:15 am) – We hear the prophet speak to a people living in exile, and in God’s invitation to listen, come, see, seek, forsake, and return, we encounter a God who holds us in kindness. (Isaiah 55:1-9)
  • A Traitor for Grace (March 31, 10:15 am) – In a story about a prodigal (wasteful) father and two sons, we are reminded of the never-ending potential for new beginnings and fresh starts. (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32)
  • The Fragrance of Life (April 7, 10:15 am) – In a prophetic act, Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus anoints Jesus’ feet and fills the house with the fragrance of life. (John 12:1-8)
  • Palms to Passion (April 14, 10:15 am) – We follow Jesus into Jerusalem and hear cries of anguish, trust, thanks, and hope; Holy Week invites us into the fullness of life’s experiences. (Luke 19:28-40)

I Love My Church

November 13, 2018

We recently asked our members to answer the question, “Why do you love our church?”  Their responses were enthusiastic and descriptive.  And we’re eager to share with you why we love our church!

The first thing that I love about my church is that in it’s basic sense we are a “family church” committed to serving God in this community and around the world through our Global Servants.  I attend worship services in various churches throughout the year with other brothers and sisters in Christ, but there is always that special feeling when I return to Highland – I am “home” at FBC.  For years, many of us have celebrated, mourned, struggled, laughed, disagreed, and dealt with all that life has to offer – together. We have been on this journey of serving God where we are welcoming new folks along side us and saying difficult goodbyes to others.  We are a strong community of believers – an extended family.

The second thing I love about my church is that we are affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, USA.  Missions is an extremely important piece for me, of what it means to be a Christian – serving people worldwide.  Our denomination does this work in a wonderful way and I am blessed to be a part of it through our local church.

When I think of church, I think of the people. So, I would have to say I love my church because of the people. The memories and relationships with the people in the church are everlasting. It’s amazing that people from so many different backgrounds can come together as one “Family of God”. The people are truly an extension of my immediate family. I know in my heart that the people in our church genuinely love me, as I love them. They don’t even have to do anything for me really, just knowing that they are there for me, when and if I need them, can get me through the week of difficult times. When I think about it, they are like a reflection of God to me. 1st John 4:12 describes it best for me – “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”

I believe our church represents, in a very real way, what a church should be, and why I love FBC Highland:

  1. The people love the Lord; they want to serve others; and they are not selfish about sharing their gifts.
  2. We, as an ABC congregation, are committed to our own local autonomy, while recognizing that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.
  3. Through our mission programs, our people have invested themselves in our local, regional, and international work. They have a loving caring attachment to our Global Servants.
  4. We have beautiful well-maintained property, but it doesn’t consume us; financially or otherwise
  5. There is Joy.
  6. Last, but certainly not least, we have a Pastor who shares himself and his family, with his congregation, in many ways; musically, spiritually, intellectually (in thought provoking ways), and lovingly.

We are blessed.

Why?? It’s a multiple of reasons. Topping the list of course is the biblical & spiritual based American Baptist foundation. But that could be found in other ABC congregations. So what I love about “my” church is the close knit feeling of family and community — how everyone here is my family; how if I hurt or have a need everyone feels it, cares for me, prays for me and pitches in to help in whatever way they can.  They all wrap me and mine in a Christian love deeper than I would have ever dreamed possible. You don’t find that just anywhere but you find it here each and every day. I do thank God daily for First Baptist Church.

[I love the] sense of community and support; sense of peace in my life.  Sunday school and sermons are so informative about the bible.  For me [this] background knowledge of bible makes bible reading come alive.

I feel I have to try to keep going to Church to keep trying to help where I can,people have said don’t give up it might not look as if what you’re doing even matters but you keep trying because it’s for God not for Show.It’s because Our Church Truly Believes In God & knows that what it comes down to at the end of each of our Lives is Heaven going to be your Eternal Home.🙏✝️ I Love sitting in the Sanctuary & feeling God’s Presents by Myself & with Others.Listening to the Music 🎶 people has spent A Lot of time preparing,& watching Others join in whether reading Scripture or singing 🎤 Especially the Children’s time,We have a Fun Time with that.Most of all our Pastor Messages & his Sense of Humor,everyone is Laughing & at the same time Worshipping Our Great & Powerful God.🌈

I love our church because: we preach the gospel, we know each other by name, we know the power of prayer intimately, and we work and strive together to put the Lord God first.

I love our church, because our pastor is exactly the sort of person who should be a pastor—devout, caring, committed, energetic, funny, highly educated, organized, thorough.  I also like the way our church and denomination are organized, how we have the freedom to make many important decisions at the local level while still having support from the national organization when we need it.  I like the people here, have known many of them for years and consider them to be extended family. I love the building itself, the design of it and the potential that the property has for future growth. The recent addition of the playlet shows our love of and dedication to the children who are our future.  There is a spirituality and dedication to the Lord’ work there, as witnessed by generous giving and missions support of our congregation.

I love our church, because it offers so many opportunities for personal ministry.  If you like music, there’s praise team and choir. If you’re the domestic sort, there’s the social committee.  If you like books and reading, we have an amazing and well-organized library. If you like to do things for others, there’s ABWomen and ABMen with multiple opportunities for ministry and evangelism.  If you have an inquiring mind, there’s Sunday School, Adult Bible Study, and several smaller weekly Bible studies groups to choose from. If you’re handy with tools or have a bent towards mathematics and finance, you can be a Trustee.  If you’re the friendly, outgoing sort, you can serve as an usher. If you’re a grown-up, but you love working with kids and still get a kick out of playing with toys, there’s the puppet ministry. If kids are your main focus, there’s Discovery Club, the Nursery, and Children’s Church where your talents and interests can be put to use.  No one is excluded in this church; everyone is encouraged to worship and to do good works according to his or her willingness, interests, and talents. And we all truly care about one another. That’s what I like about First Baptist!