Thunderstuck!
Below is a video that is you can hear in the sermon recording above. We've added it below in case you want to see the video.
Taking Up During Lent
Some ideas on what to take up:
- Pray for your enemies each day
- Keep a gratitude journal - write down things each day for which you are thankful
- Read & reflect on something from Scripture each day: maybe from one of the Gospels? Maybe a Psalm? Maybe from reading the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) over and over?
- Daily use an online devotional (www.d365.org) or prayer guide (www.commonprayer.net or www.sacredspace.ie/daily-prayer )
- Write a note of thanks to a different person every day - family, friends, fellow church members, neighbors, people from your past, public figures, community servants & workers
- Each week, seek to have a significant conversation with someone very different from you - in religion, race, orientation, politics, economic status, ethnicity, etc. Ask questions; focus on listening instead of talking, explaining, or defending your own views or perspectives; what do you have to learn?
- Invite someone to a meal with you at least once a week
- Give a genuine compliment to someone each day - take time to appreciate even the small things in others
- Go for a walk daily if possible - pray for people, houses, businesses, etc. you see and any needs that come to mind
- Reach out to someone who might be lonely at least 3 times a week with a visit or a phone call
- Saying "I'm sorry" - who needs an apology from you? How can you work to mend a broken relationship or heal a relationship
Giving Up During Lent
- Complaining - seek to improve all complaining for your talk
- Social Media - give up Facebook, Twitter, etc. - be intentional in doing something with the extra time and attention you have
- A grudge - pray daily about something you're struggling to let go; consider if there is a difficult but necessary conversation you need to have or an apology you need to give
- Noise - avoid turning on the radio in your car or anything around the house as background noise; use the silence to pray or think or notice things or have a conversation
- Find something in your house each day to give away (and don't let it all be stuff you won't miss)
- The need to have the last word
- Extra purchases - buy only necessities (and if you have to question if something is really a necessity, it's likely not) - donate the extra money you would have spent
- Skip a meal once a week or eat simpler meals on a designated day - give the money you would have spent to those helping address local or world hunger
We welcome our Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts to our church service today. As it says in the Boy Scout Law, "A Scout is Reverent." It is always a joy to see the young people utilizing our church for development into the leaders of tomorrow.