This was a busy week starting with our staff meeting Monday morning, three cottage meetings, a Roots Night, and Solanco Pastor’s Fellowship meeting yesterday. Each of the meetings was a blessing for me. Janae started our Staff Meeting Monday by doing with us the first Psalm reading in our “Taking Up Lent” challenge and I have continued reading and reflecting on the worship Psalms each day. I am looking forward to the last one which I will do tomorrow morning before the Men’s Bible study. 

Next week is the final week of cottage meetings and five are scheduled. Thanks to our deacons for coordinating our meetings and we will have had about 17 meetings when we are through. As a reminder, you do not need to attend a cottage meeting to complete the questionnaire. Simply fill it out, and put it in my mailbox. If you would still like to attend a cottage meeting, contact Pastor Mary Etta, Pastor Rita, or Peggy Rasmussen as they are the deacons hosting the cottage meetings next week.

I was able to visit with Mary Poe on Wednesday just one day after her shoulder replacement surgery. She will be off to rehab soon but your prayers are appreciated. I was blessed to see Anna Jane Glisson on Tuesday, which was her 94th birthday and have a piece of cake with Anna Jane and Nancy. Yesterday I visited Jim Showalter and Cinda at Penn State Hershey Medical center as Jim has had a number of procedures done this week. I am glad I got to see all these folks this week and pray with them for their continued recovery.

Wednesday night was busy with our Roots meal and evening programming.  I led a deeper dive into worship as we looked at worship passages in 2 Samuel 6:12-19, Mark 14:3-9, Luke 10:38-42, and Revelation 19:1-10. We had a great discussion and time of learning as we attempted to learn even more about worship. This week Pastor Mary Etta is going to be preaching on our practice of prayer, and we will dig deeper into prayer at Bible study next Wednesday at 6:30 pm.

I think today is officially the start of spring, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it just yet. The days are getting longer, and signs of spring are beginning to make their appearance. I know Ruth and I are anxious to get outside and start working in the yard and landscaping. It felt good though to put the snow shovels away for another year this week.

Last Sunday Ruth and I were blessed to have our daughters and son-in-law visit as well as our good friends Bob and Marty Metka. After Sunday services, we gathered at our house for egg and cookie decorating before sharing a meal together. I was able to bring my mother over to help with the decorating. I never want to take for granted the blessings of family and friends. Ruth and I were grateful that they came for worship and spent much of the day with us. 

A busy two weeks are coming up. Next week there are five cottage meetings plus spring clean-up on Saturday morning and the Men’s Banquet Saturday evening. Then of course it is Palm Sunday and the start of Holy Week. Please consider making the effort to be at the Easter Sunrise service at Pam and Alan Platt’s home at 6:15 am. Kay Swarr will be leading that service as we gather to worship and watch the sunrise together. Ruth and I attended the last three years, and it is a great way to start the celebration of Resurrection Sunday.

This Sunday the Branches Brunch will happen as our Little Roots will be meeting their Branches who have been blessing them with gifts over the last several weeks. As such, there will be no kid’s sermon in the 10:30 am service as most of the children will be at brunch in the family life center. 

As our season of Lent is winding down, let me encourage you to begin preparing yourself for Holy Week. We will have Love Feast on Thursday, April 2nd at 7:00 pm and on Friday at 6:00 pm we will be showing the movie, “The Passion of the Christ.” Our Easter celebration on April 5th begins with the 6:15 am sunrise service and then our 8:15 traditional and 10:30 am contemporary services. Our Believe series will be on hold that Sunday as we celebrate our Lord’s resurrection. Consider spending some time in the Gospel’s reading the later chapters to focus in on Jesus in his final days. The Lenten season is to be a season of renewal and growing our relationship with our risen Savior. My prayer for you is that it will be that and so much more this year.

Let me close with this. My prayer time this week focused on the unrest in Iran and the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. In addition, I was praying for peace in our own nation and civility one with another. My devotions though this week took me through I Samuel 6-10. In these chapters, the people of Israel ask for a king. The prophet Samuel then anoints Saul to be the king. The distinguishing characteristic of Saul was that he was handsome and a head taller than anyone else (1 Samuel 9:2). It hardly seems to be the best criteria for a king. And of course, King Saul was a complex figure—initially a successful, brave, and humble leader who united Israel and won key battles. However, he did not remain a "good" king in the long term, as his reign was marked by disobedience, insecurity, and envy, leading to his rejection by God and a tragic downfall. He was followed by David, a man after God’s own heart, and David had something that Saul seemed to lack--that unyielding devotion to God. Our Believe Series is all about growing in each of us that unyielding devotion to God. May it be so as we seek to think, act and be like Jesus.

Warmer temperatures are likely for the weekend so enjoy the taste of spring. And begin preparing yourself for Holy Week and yet another Lord’s Day celebration. I am looking forward to worshiping with you this Sunday as we gather once again as His Church - the Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren. Remember it is Friday…but Sunday’s coming!

Pastor Kevin