Lenten Online Experience

Lenten Online Experience
(Edition 3 of 13)
ChurchLove – “Language”  by Sharon White
 
Loving God,
Who understands before I form my prayer,
Who hears when I call and translates my humble words
     into beautiful hymns of gratitude and praise
And responds to my uncertain cry for help
    with assurance, peace, and palpable presence,
 
Here I am as fully in your presence
    as I am able to be,
Offering my fears, my needs, my hopes,
    my love, and my life,
For I am yours and belong to no other.
Prayer of Presence, John Wesley
40 Days with Wesley
 
When you pray, don’t pour out a flood of empty words, as the Gentiles do.  They think that by saying many words they’ll be heard.  Don’t be like them, because your Father knows what you need before you ask.  Pray like this:
 
Our Father who is in heaven,
uphold the holiness of your name.
Bring in your kingdom
so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven.
Give us the bread we need for today.
Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you,
just as we also forgive those who have wronged us.
And don’t lead us into temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Matthew 6:7-13
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I am a big believer in  knowing someone’s Love Language: Words of Affirmation; Quality Time; Gift Giving; Physical Touch; Acts of Service.
 
Knowing a person’s love language allows us to “tailor” our relationship with them. For example, if I have a friend who absolutely cherishes every gift she’s given, I can be certain that I can “speak love” to her by giving her a thoughtfully chosen present. I, on the other hand, know that Acts of Service is my primary love language.  As a result, I’ve often told my husband, “if you want to show me love, don’t buy me a diamond -do the dishes!’
 
Jesus speaks the ultimate love language to us, and to the Father on our behalf. We can be sure that Jesus Christ models the truest language of love.
 
Every language on earth is music to the ears of the Father, especially when we praise Him and share the message of the gospel. Nurture your relationship with God — let Him reveal to you how you are uniquely created to speak the love language that was chosen just for you.
 
 
 
Throughout our Lenten Online Experience,
we will be following the 
Stations of the Cross,
which remember the events of the last
earthly day of Jesus’ life.
 
From Sorrow and Betrayal,
to Crucifixion and Resurrection,
immerse yourself in the scriptures,
as we walk the road that Jesus walked.
 
Third Reading, Station Three:
Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin.
Luke 22:66-71
 
 
Explore the Stations of the Cross on
Google Maps
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Lenten Online Experience

Lenten Online Experience
(Edition 2 of 13)
ChurchLove – “Imagine”  by Sharon White
 
 
 
Tender Shepherd,
Bring to my awareness your constant companionship,
To my weariness your matchless strength,
To my brokenness your healing touch,
And to my joy your blessing.  Amen.
Prayer of Presence, John Wesley
40 Days with Wesley
 
If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  I will ask the Father, and he will send another Companion, who will be with you forever.  This Companion is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world can’t receive because it neither sees him nor
recognizes him.  You know him, because he
lives with you and will be with you.
I won’t leave you as orphans.  I will come to you.  Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me.  Because I live, you will live too.  On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you.  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them loves me.  Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.
John 14:15-21
 
 
 
 
 
(Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus are lying in the grass, looking up at the sky)
Lucy: If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the cloud formations…what do you think you see, Linus?
Linus: Well, those clouds up there look to me like the map of the British  Honduras in the Caribbean.
(Linus continues, pointing to a different part of the sky)
That cloud up there looks a little like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor.  And that group of clouds over there gives me the impression of the stoning of Stephen, with the Apostle Paul standing there to one side.
Lucy: Uh-huh…that’s very good…what do you see in the clouds, Charlie Brown?
Charlie: Well, I was going to say I saw a ducky and a horsie, but I changed my mind!
 
God created us with an imagination and a sense of wonder, so our finite human minds could begin to know the majesty and glory  of our Creator!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dear God
I love you
I love cookies
I love Daddy
I love Mommy
I love Jesus
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Prayers of our Kids
by Abigail T.
 
 
 
 
 
Throughout our Lenten Online Experience,
we will be following the 
Stations of the Cross,
which remember the events of the last
earthly day of Jesus’ life.
 
From Sorrow and Betrayal,
to Crucifixion and Resurrection,
immerse yourself in the scriptures,
as we walk the road that Jesus walked.
 
Second Reading, Station Two:
Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested.
Mark 14:43-46
 
 
Explore the Stations of the Cross on
Google Maps
 
 


Lenten Online Experience

 
 
Holy God of unconditional love and
unlimited presence, 
I come to make myself fully available
to you, your will, and your way.
Speak to me gently and clearly, for I am yours
and desire to hear, understand, and be obedient
to your slightest whisper.
Speak, for I am listening.
John Wesley’s “Prayer of Presence”
40 Days with Wesley
 
 
Six days later Jesus took Peter, James,
and John his brother, and brought them
to the top of a very high mountain.
 He was transformed in front of them.
 His face shone like the sun and his
clothes became white as light.
Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
talking with Jesus.  Peter reacted
to all of this by saying to Jesus, 
“Lord it’s good that we’re here.  If you
want,  I’ll make three shrines: one for you,
one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  
While he was still speaking,  look,
a bright cloud overshadowed them.
A voice from the cloud said,
This is my Son whom I dearly love.  
I am very pleased with him.  Listen to him!”  
Hearing this, the disciples fell  on their faces,
filled with awe.
Matthew 17:1-6
 
 
 
 
Church is an outdated convention.
It’s just a building.
I’d feel out of place.
No one would say hello to me.
Everyone would judge me.
Going to church is unnecessary.
I can worship anywhere…..
 
   In one of my favorite books about church, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations,  Robert Schnase writes, The Greek word for church, ekklesia, means ‘called out of the world,’ and refers to the calling of people from their ordinary life to gather together in sacred time and space.  Worship breathes life into the
community of Christ’s followers, forms identity, and provides a place of common learning about faith and listening to God. 
     Being called out of the world is a holy request, made by Jesus Himself.  
   So many reasons can exist for not attending worship. During the season of Lent especially, I believe we are called to challenge those reasons.
   Listen to God. Give Him your time and attention as never before. Let Him alone reveal His calling over your life.
 
 I believe that now, more than ever,
our world needs church.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Prayers of our Kids
by Jackson O.
 
 
 
 
 
Throughout our Lenten Online Experience,
we will be following the 
Stations of the Cross,
which remember the events of the last
earthly day of Jesus’ life.
 
From Sorrow and Betrayal,
to Crucifixion and Resurrection,
immerse yourself in the scriptures,
as we walk the road that Jesus walked.
 
First Reading, Station One:
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Matthew 26:36-41
 
Explore the Stations of the Cross on
Google Maps
 
 
 
 
 


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