Easter Greetings

As I have been thinking and praying about what to write in this Easter letter, I found that my experience this past fall kept invading my thoughts. As many of you know, I encountered a heart attack on Oct. 11 of last year. On Oct. 12 it was revealed that I had two blocked arteries. One artery was blocked at 95% and a stent was placed in that artery immediately. I remember feeling a great sensation of when the blood began to go through my body. Life began racing through my body and it was an amazing feeling. I had no idea that my arteries were blocked and impacting my health. On Nov. 21, I received a second stent and now I have no blockages in my heart and I am on my journey to health and wholeness.

In many ways, I believe I had an Easter experience last October. I hadn’t realized that my life and health were in jeopardy. In some ways, the blockage in my heart was like the stone placed upon Christ’s tomb. I experienced the miraculous power of God’s healing through a trained and caring medical team. I also experienced the sustaining grace and love of God through my faith community, you, the people of Lafayette Park UMC. These two experiences transformed my life. I now find that things that used to cause me to lose sleep at night no longer have power over me because in truth they are not life and death issues. They are things that no one will think about or even remember in a month or two.

I realize now that even though I have always considered myself an Easter person I haven’t really lived an Easter life. An Easter life is one that approaches each day knowing that we have already died and are living a resurrected life. Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in Christ who loved me and gave himself for me.” Each day I try to learn more about how to walk around in a healthy body empowered by God. It will be a long journey because I am a Methodist and, as Wesley invites us to do, I am going on to Christian Perfection.

In coming weeks I would like to request a few things for you to consider. First please join us this Sunday, March 25, after worship for a special gratitude fellowship from the Wilders. It is our humble way of trying to say thank you for all of the prayers, meals, rides, gifts, and amazing ways you have supported our family.

Secondly as we approach Easter, reflect on ways that you might be living as I was living, blocked and worrying about things that no one will remember in a month. What are the ways that you too can live in the power of a resurrected life? What habits or thought patterns need to shift to transform your life?

Our Easter offering this year will go to the restoration of the large east stained glass window. At the writing of this letter, we have over $39,000 towards our goal of $60,000 to restore the window. This restoration will give new life to our window and increase the quality of life in our sanctuary. It will care for the window for the next 100 years.

I pray that whatever you do in the next few weeks you may also experience the transforming miraculous power of Easter in your life.
Blessings,

Pastor Kathleen

What Lent Means To Me - 4/1/2012

This is the fifth in a series that will be included in the Sunday Bulletin each week during Lent.

by Cindy Pillow

There were tables in the shape of 3 large crosses, hot cross buns and hot tea. You must behave yourself. You are eating with at least 50 elderly women. There is a Sacrificial Breakfast at church. What fun??? Why call it “Good Friday”, Jesus DIED today. A program that is especially boring for children. Oh no, those are not
raisins in the hot cross buns, it’s that nasty candied fruit, I wonder if I can hide it under my plate?

Dying eggs, new shoes and what’s for Easter dinner? Oh, my it’s Lent, “What should I give up?” Maybe it should be soda, ice cream or CHOCOLATE? Where can I get Easter crosses for the Easter Baskets? No candy for the child with braces. While in a hurry to prepare for Easter the season of Lent is delegated to a mild inconvenience of remembering to deny myself a pleasure, but God’s love is never denied to us.

Now, repentance, self denial and gratitude from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. We should not be giving up but giving more. I should be giving my time for a letter of thanks or praise of a job well done. Giving my abilities to listen, lead or create. What more can I give when Jesus gave it all?

What Lent Means To Me - 3/18/2012

This is the fourth in a series that will be included in the Sunday Bulletin each week during Lent.

by Daron Smith

When I was asked to share what Lent means to me the first thing that popped into my head was the anticipation of Easter and a really great family dinner with presents and candy. Ok, that was what the kid in me thinks about but now that I'm a little older that has changed a bit. Don't get me wrong; who can resist those Reese's Peanut Butter eggs?! Family memories of Easter time are something I will always cherish and hold close, but now during Lent I reflect on my spiritual development and where my life is going. As Christians we focus on the resurrection and new beginnings so that is what I think about. How can I change and grow and become a better Christian? It's not always an easy thing to do so I'm more intentional about it during the Lenten season and along the way I still manage to sneak a peanut butter egg here and there.

What Lent Means To Me - 3/11/2012

This is the third in a series that will be included in the Sunday Bulletin each week during Lent.

by Lynne Keay

I was raised in a small town southeast of here. There were four churches and Lent was observed by all. There was a community Ash Wednesday service but I don't remember any ashes. Then there was Palm Sunday but I don't remember any palms. We had service every evening of Holy Week. The egg hunt was on Saturday and then Easter Sunrise Service that moved from church to church(PJs and raincoat). It was not until later that I understood that Easter wasn't just a new outfit with hat. In 1998, I was fortunate to walk the Via Dolorsa (Way of Cross) in Jerusalem. The street was rough and uneven, steep, and narrow. It gives you a unusual feeling of awe and amazement. Seeing the street fired my imagination of the sacrifice and pain had by Jesus.

Lent is the time I realize the sacrifice that has been made for us. How I honor it is up to me.

What Lent Means To Me - 3/4/2012

This is the second in a series that will be included in the Sunday Bulletin each week during Lent.

by Olivia Natwick:

As a youngster growing up in Wyoming I was not aware of the liturgical season of Lent. What I do remember about this period of time is that it seemed like there was one gray day after another. February and March are cold months in Wyoming . It also seemed that most of the time when Easter morning rolled around it was sunny. Today looking back at that time I know that not every day was cold and gray leading up to Easter and I remember some Easters that were not sunny. I find that today for me Lent is a time when I can sit and contemplate how my sins have led me away from a relationship with God. That separation can feel for me like those endless gray and cold days of my childhood. For me Lent is a time of finding my way back to God. As I do this I can look forward to stepping into God’s love and forgiveness on Easter day.

What Lent Means To Me - 2/26/2012

This is the first in a series that will be included in the Sunday Bulletin each week during Lent.

By Brenda Deertz:

Lent is one of my favorite times of year. Spring is on the way and with hope and renewal in the air I try to take this opportunity to grow into a closer relationship with my Lord. I usually give up something for Lent and I look for something in my life that truly separates me from God. That leaves out things such chicken wings, as that is my favorite food (although God knows I could always eat healthier). I want to strive for things more like the year I gave up fear after I experienced a medical scare. In that vein, as these are uncertain times for many of us and I have a lot of worries right now about the future, I have decided to give up DOUBT. This won’t be easy for me and I will not be perfect at it, but my hope is that by removing doubt, I will learn to put more trust in God's plan for me and for all of us. Doubt is, for me, a barrier to God’s love. Hopefully by Easter I will be putting my trust in the Lord more than I do now and freely experience his love.

Happy New Year!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your amazing support of the ministry of Lafayette Park United Methodist Church in 2011. Each of you has made a significant impact in our ministry within the church, in our community, and in our world. Thank you for your commitment to our ministries with your prayers, your presence in worship, your financial tithes and gifts, your service in mission, and your witness in our community. Our church is stronger and our community is healthier because of you.

Thank you for faithfully committing to be part of passionate worship, intentional faith development, radical hospitality, risk taking mission, and outrageous generosity. Thank you for the many ways you live out your commitment to follow and serve Christ in our community. You truly epitomize our vision statement of being ‘a church without walls creating Christ’s presence in our community.’

On a personal note, there are no words to convey my deep gratitude for the many ways you have supported me and my family through our season of health challenges. You have taught me an extremely important lesson about the power of community. I am truly humbled and overwhelmed by the many ways you have helped sustain my family. I have seen many people over the last several months at both St. Mary’s and the VA who did not have a church family. I don’t know how anyone can survive without one… I know I couldn’t have without you. Thank you for being my family.

God has truly accomplished many wonderful things through you this year. Thank you for participating in the journey. Thank you for the many things you will do this year to share God’s love and grace with the world around us.

Pastor Kathleen