God Came Near

 
     Well, believe it or not, Lent is already upon us. It feels like we just finished Advent. This year I am following the lectionary in choosing my sermon texts – but with a slight twist. All my texts (at least until Palm Sunday) will be from the Old Testament. I am really looking forward to seeing what God has to say to us out of Hebrew scriptures.

    I am also making a slight change to my Lenten Adult Education study. Usually, we meet on the five Wednesday nights during Lent, but this year we will be meeting at our regular adult education Sunday School time of 9:00 a.m. Sunday mornings.

    The book we will be studying, chosen by Marylyn Goode so it has to be good, is Max Lucado’s God Came Near. It is a spiritually insightful book (aren’t all of Max’s books?) that will help us understand Jesus’ journey here on earth and how that relates to us.

    The back cover of the book describes it this way:

    “It all happened in a moment – a most remarkable moment. God came near. He came not as a flash of light or as an unapproachable conqueror, but as One whose first cries were heard by a peasant girl and a sleepy carpenter. The hands that held him were not manicured, but callused and dirty. “No silk. No ivory. No hype. No party. No hoopla. God had come near … for YOU.

    “Travel back in time and relive Christ the Son of God becoming man. Come with Max as he brings to life the most important event in history … when God came near. And as you catch a vision of this incredible moment, let it mark the beginning of a new life for yourself. “God came near. If he is who he says he is, there is no truth more worthy of your time!”

    We will have our first class on Sunday, March 8th, at 9:00 a.m. in the Multi-Purpose room and then continue for the following four Sunday mornings. You can get the book at Berean’s Christian Bookstore for $14.99 plus tax. BUT I have a limited number of copies that I got online for only $7.50 with no tax. What a deal! Am I looking out for you, or what! Please don’t let the cost of the book keep you from attending. There are always scholarships available.

Here is the chapter and page schedule by week in case you are interested:

March 8th Chapters 1-7 Pgs 1-30

March 15th Chapters 8-12 Pgs 31-50

March 22nd Chapters 13-18 Pgs 51-72

March 29th Chapters 19-25 Pgs 73-98

April 5th Chapters 26-31 Pgs 99-120

I do hope you plan on joining us for this powerful study. It will make for a wonderful Lenten discipline.

Have a blessed month, my friends. And as always, I’ll see you on Sunday!

Pastor Tom