Reflection from our Lenten Study Groups "God is surely doing some wonderful new things! I just don't always see them!" listening to those who have lead our Lenten Study experiences I have discovered many new things. We have addressed how polarized …at odds with each other…how downright mean spirited a lot of our debate has become with each other. When all this started I was feeling pretty uncertain about what would happen. Would we be getting people together who just wanted to fight with each other over community concerns…political issues…gay vs straight ways of understanding sexuality…business vs government and still to come gun rights or gun restrictions. In order to keep the peace I put Jesus in the middle of all this… And he did what he does. Two men from our community…a teacher and scout leader showed us that while there are differences among people…men and women of faith share come very basic needs to work together…and can work together for the good of all. Two men who serve in our legislature came…one a seasoned politician…another a young man from our own community just starting out in our state house…came and talked about how they work together and respect each other and how often others work hard to draw them into conflict that really doesn’t have to exist. Two pastors who have differing views on marriage, sex, gay and straight love presented their concerns and opinions in a way that opened doors for me and others to see how our Christian faith and ministry can allow us the chance to engage and minister in places where there is much pain and confusion in our communities today. And finally Tim and Bill coming from differing ways of looking at work and faith shared how our free market style of capitalism can benefit from and be blest by a way of doing business that values people, workers, clients, customers, management, the environment in such a way that Christ valued servant leadership builds not just wealth but honest success. If I had needed an example of how God does new things…and shows us new ways of doing things…I only had to be here Wednesday evenings and witness some really wonderful ways this is happening.

Lenten Meeting - Love Sex and Marriage

The Rev. Al Fletcher was right when he said this topic, more than any other, is a deeply dividing issue. He and Scot Dow went on, however, to provide a really compassionate and heartfelt insight into ways that followers of Jesus can come at these issues, especially homosexual sex and gay marriage. Al's first suggestion made great sense to me and echoed a lot that has been said in our other two meetings. It is easy to get caught up in the ideology of others who would like us to take their side in the argument about what is biblical or christian about views on marriage, either gay or straight. Once you take a side, both speakers pointed out, you often lose sight of the person or persons who are living with the very concerns we were addressing. Scot Dow made, I feel, a really balanced appeal...a heartfelt appeal...sharing his own struggles to live his Evangelical Faith with a desire to engage openly ...not just issues...but persons who need help...guidance...love...nurture...admonition...a listening ear. Both speakers emphasized stearing away from easy answers and engaging in dialogue with persons, scripture, God...in ways that will be painful and difficult but which offer the opportunity for the ministry of Christ to help and heal.

Many thanks to all those who have made our Lenten Study series such a great experience...I include both the speakers and those who have come with questions and comments. It has been a very inspiring couple of meetings and there are more to come! Steve Crowe and Jim Ramsey really set the tone for the meetings with their straight forward comments and suggestions about making dialogue work between people who see things differently. This week Tom Saviello and Nate Libby offered us some important insight into how civil dialogue can be part of the political process. Tom suggests that politics works when there is friendship, trust, and respect among participants at all levels of government. Nate adds that in his opinion what makes dialogue possible is ...knowing what to bring up and what to leave on the table...to always be skepticle and look carefully at all dialogue...and finally, give others the benefit of the doubt. Good wisdom and a good meeting...definetly blessed by the Jesus who was "in the center" of our discussion.

Is there a right way to pray? A friend asked me this and it got me thinking. The Bible as a guide certainly contains many kinds of prayers, from all kinds of people, under all kinds of circumstances. Some of my favorites are in the Psalms. They indicate that God hears all sorts of prayers from all sorts of people under all kinds of conditions. Some are glad and sing their praise for God's help. Some are sad or sick or discouraged and share their complaints their laments. Some are downright angry and cry out for God to hear them and not remain so distant and silent. some are prayers for self and country and king...Some are for others and for the needs of family and friends. All these prayers are heard in their amazing variety by a God who loves and nurtures and corrects and speaks to those who come to him with little faith or great faith. Is there a right way to pray...not the way we mean right...following someone's rules laid down for us...Prayer is a thing of the heart...a cry in the night...joy in the morning...time to talk with one who knows us better than we know ourselves and still loves to hear from us.

Holy Week Schedule

Palm Sunday

         March 24 - 10 a.m. Worship

Good Friday 

          Evening Service March 29^th at 7 p.m.

Easter Sunday

           6 a.m. Sunrise Service and Breakfast

           10 a. m. Easter Worship

Lenten Study Series - Schedule

 

Lenten Prayer and Study meetings, on Wednesday evenings here at the church at 7 p.m.  

          Our focus will be “How to Make Peace in a Divided World”  

February 20^th “The things that divide us! Bringing us together!”
          Jim Ramsey and Steve Crowe

February 26^th  “Politics! Can the Left and Right talk to each other?
          Tom Saviello

March 6^th  “Love, Sex and Marriage “ 
          Al Fletcher and Scot Dow 

March 13^th.  "How Business and Faith Talk to Each Other"
          Tim Downing

March 20^th   “Gun Rights and Gun Violence”

                    at the Norridgewock Congregational Church.
          Maine Game Warden

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