Happy Friday, Friends!

As we end another work week, my reading takes me back into the Gospel of John to those well-loved words...

                     "For God so loved the world that he gave his one
                      and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
                                  not perish but have eternal life."  
                                                (John 3:16)

What is love? Almost every popular song today mentions the concept; most movies and TV shows do as well. But often they aren't talking about real love. The "love" they profess is often a selfish feeling with no depth at all.
   
You see, real love isn't merely a feeling -- it's a decision, an act of the will. Love determines to care about another person, even if that love is not reciprocated. It's a commitment that doesn't change or fade if the desired result is not gained. It's a sacrifice.  
   
Real love is what God's Son, Jesus Christ, displayed for the whole world when He chose to sacrifice himself for all of us on the cross. God did not have to give up God's Son as a sacrifice for us.... but God did! God already knows that we don't deserve it. God knows the bad thoughts that we often entertain. God knows every awful thing about us, and yet God loves us.
   
The Lord of absolutely everything, who knew us before we were born, has decided to love us... often in spite of us! We mess up again and again; we fall short and still, God loves us. God is committed to us, and God will faithfully forgive, unconditionally accept, and perfectly love us always!  
   
So... does that change your perspective on love? God has decided to love YOU! What have you decided?

+++ We gather for worship on Sunday at 8:30am and 10:00am. This week we will dive into the 14th chapter of John's Gospel account and see how "Jesus is our Protector". What a friend we have in Jesus... who promises to protect us when we are in any kind of danger or peril. Join me as we look at this important role that Jesus plays for each of us.  We also celebrate UMCOR Sunday this week as we receive a special offering to support the relief work of this outstanding organization. We will also hear about how UMCOR and mission work is done right here at Immanuel. Look for the special giving envelopes when you enter the Narthex area and celebrate the fact that 100% of the gifts we give to UMCOR go directly to those in need! We will be "live-streaming" at 10:00am on the church's Facebook page and then "uploading" the completed worship to our YouTube channel when worship is completed. We look forward to "seeing you" in worship on Sunday!  

+++ Also, on Sunday we begin taking orders for Easter flowers to adorn our Resurrection Day altar in a few weeks. Make sure to get your order in soon so we can plan for this beautiful decoration in the Sanctuary.

+++ Next weekend is our spring CRAFT SHOW here at Immanuel! Crafters will be displaying their creations on both Friday and Saturday. Bring a friend, stay for a meal or snack and check out all the beautiful items available for sale. All proceeds of this event are used to support missions during the year here at Immanuel.  

+++ Don't forget to sign up for our last 2nd Sunday luncheon until the fall! On Sunday, April 13th we will gather for a delicious brunch after the 10:00am worship service and you are all invited. But we need you to sign up, outside the Fireside Room, to make sure we prepare enough food for all that day!

+++ I am leading worship at Summerfield Village on Wednesday, 4/2 at 9:30am if you would like to join us.     

Make this day a great day and try to love like Jesus loves us!   
Pastor Jack 

As we prepare for another weekend, today's scripture reading takes us to Hebrews, Chapter 13....

                "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage
                            bed kept pure."    (Hebrews 13:4)

In his book, Sin, Sex, and Self-Control, Norman Vincent Peale writes: "Martha took the kids away to the mountains for a month, so I was a summer bachelor. And about midway through the month, I met a girl, a beautiful girl looking for excitement. She made it clear that I had a green light -- so for one weekend I put my conscience in mothballs and arranged a date with her for Saturday night."
   
Peale said that he woke up on that Saturday morning, put on his swimming trunks, and took a walk on the beach to clear his head. As he walked, a strange thing happened.
   
He said, "I felt as if I were outside myself, looking at myself through a kind of fog that was gradually clearing. And suddenly I knew that what I had been planning for that evening was so wrong, so out of key with my standards and my loyalties and the innermost me... that it was out of the question." He canceled the date.
   
I think God's commandments have come to be viewed as stone tablets filled with restrictions on our fun. But in truth, they were given to protect, rather than prohibit, our happiness. God wants us to be truly safe -- safe to enjoy a happy and fulfilled life.  

+++ We worship on Sunday at 8:30am and 10:00am as we celebrate this 3rd Sunday of Lent. And this week we will be looking at "Jesus as our Encourager." We will meet a centurion from Matthew's Gospel account who also recognizes Jesus as one who encourages his people. What does it mean to submit to the encouragement that Jesus gives? I'll be thinking about this on Sunday. If you can't be in the Fireside Room or Sanctuary with us, look for us on the church's Facebook page for our "live-stream" at 10:00am. Or check out the recorded worship that is uploaded to our YouTube channel when the service is completed. However you choose to worship with us, we will "look for you" on Sunday morning!

+++ Our Lenten Bible study group continues on Monday at 12:00noon in the Fireside Room. We are making a pot of soup, so bring your lunch and join us for this study on Monday!  

+++ Our Lenten Mission Project is supporting the work of our friends at Sleep In Heavenly Peace. Look for the display on the table in the Narthex and join us in this important project to ensure that no kid sleeps on the floor in our town!  

+++ Coming up NEXT Sunday, 3/30 we will celebrate the work of UMCOR as we receive one of the United Methodist Church's special offerings. The United Methodist Commission of Relief are often the first emergency aid providers to arrive at the scene after an emergency. Look for the special second-mile offering envelopes next Sunday as we support the work of this great mission organization!  

+++ Also next Sunday, 3/30 we will begin taking orders for Easter plants to decorate our Altar on Resurrection Day! Orders can be placed in loving memory of or in honor of loved ones. Look for the table in the Narthex starting next Sunday.

+++ And make sure you have your calendar marked for Immanuel's Spring Craft Show on April 4th and 5th. This is a great opportunity to invite your friends to come shopping and show them the beautiful facility we worship in. We hope to see you all as we celebrate the talents of our crafters!  

Make this day a great day and enjoy the beauty of a strong relationship with God!  Pastor Jack   

Happy Friday Friends!

This morning's reading comes to us from Psalm 46...

                       "Be still, and know that I am God."   
                                 (Psalm 46: 10)

It seems to me that the only way we can really know God is by experiencing God. And many of those experiences can only come to us as we are willing to  take the time to listen quietly for God's voice.  
   
Author and theologian Soren Kierkegaard wrote that most of us are "so busy" that we are unwilling to wait patiently for God. We might consider an appointment with our hairdresser or bridge club to be productive time, but when God lays claim to our time... we balk. Rather than spend time with God and allow ourselves to bask in God's presence and soak up God's love, we manufacture substitutes --- things to do to take the place of simply being with God. Even the admirable activities of good works and Bible study can sometimes keep us from resting quietly with God.  
   
Like any other relationship, experiencing God takes both quality and quantity time and a willingness to not only talk with God... but to listen to God. There is just no substitute for either. Like any relationship, we must be willing to make a conscious investment of both time and effort.
   
Why not try slowing down to listen for God's voice today? God speaks often to each of us deep within the recesses of our hearts and minds. The trouble is that most people are just moving too fast to receive the transmission. If you are willing to try it... you just might be surprised to hear all that you've been missing!  

+++ Worship on Sunday is at 8:30am and 10:00am and this week we celebrate the 2nd Sunday of Lent. We will continue with our Lenten theme of examining the roles Jesus offers us, as we think about "Jesus as our Listener". And we'll hear about a man named Nicodemus, to whom Jesus not only listened... but responded. What might we have in common with Nicodemus? And how are we being called to not only listen... but respond? Join me as I try to think this whole issue through on Sunday morning. We will continue our "live-streaming" on the church Facebook page at 10:00am and then "upload" the completed worship to the church YouTube channel. After a couple of weeks of technological "bugs"... we think we solved the problems and, hopefully, you saw a vast improvement last week. Thanks Steven for your hard work!  

+++ I will be leading worship at Summerfield Village next Wednesday, 3/19 at 9:30am.  

+++ Coming up on March 30th.... we celebrate UMCOR Sunday. We will receive your special offerings to support this wonderful organization that is usually among the first on the scene at a disaster anywhere in our country and even around the world. And because the administration fees are covered by offerings from other parts of our General Church budget... 100% of the gifts we give are used to help the afflicted! Now that is something to be proud of! Look for the special offering envelopes available on March 30th at worship!

+++ We recently discovered some old cell phones that were left in the Narthex and, although we do not have a program to recycle these here at the church, we found out the Staples store will gladly take them to be recycled. So we ask that you would deliver them to our nearest Staples store rather than leave them here at the church. Thanks!      

Make this day a great day and take time to come into the presence of the God who created and loves you beyond measure!   
​Pastor Jack 

As we prepare for this first Sunday of Lent, I read these words in 2 Corinthians…
 
              “Each one should give….. not reluctantly or under compulsion,
                for God loves a cheerful giver.”   (2 Corinthians 9:7  NIV)
 
How can we be sure when and how much to give? After all, our resources are limited. Our own needs feel so great that it’s hard to think about the needs of others. How can we possibly feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the widows, and clothe the naked? And giving away your coat to whoever asks for it seems a little extreme when you have a family to provide for.
  
Our minds have difficulty grasping that whatever good deed we do will be rewarded by the Lord – that anytime we give things or blessings in any way, it is regarded by God as if we’ve done the same thing to Him. What if the stranger that asks for a nickel was Christ himself? What if the poor person in the Third World was Jesus crying out for our attention? Have we left Christ in some prison? Have we neglected Jesus by neglecting the needy? I believe we should let God show us what it is we should do whenever we are asked to give. 
  
So, when strangers ask for money or someone in our congregation has a need, or we feel overwhelmed by the requests in our mailbox, join me in praying…

                           Guide me in my giving, O Lord. Amen.
 
+++ On Sunday we will worship at 8:30am and 10:00am as we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent. Our Lenten theme this year is, SAVIOR, SERVANT, FRIEND and each week we will look at a role that Jesus fulfills for each of us. On Ash Wednesday we looked at how Jesus is our Forgiver and this Sunday we explore how Jesus is our Healer. Coming up we’ll see Jesus as our encourager, our listener, our protector and our comforter. And after some Facebook updates, we think we have solved the technology bugs once again! Join us for our “live-stream” on the church’s Facebook page at 10:00am and then for the “uploaded” recording of the worship service on our YouTube channel. 

+++ DON’T FORGET TO SPRING YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD ONE HOUR BEFORE BED ON SATURDAY NIGHT. Otherwise, we will see you when the closing hymn starts on Sunday morning!

+++ We’ll enjoy our Second Sunday luncheon on Sunday. We hope you signed up and we look forward to the good food and fellowship the second Sunday lunch always offers! 

+++ We have a good supply of Lenten devotional materials for adults and kids alike on the table in the Narthex that go along with our Lenten theme. Be sure to grab them on Sunday after worship!

+++ Our Lenten Mission Project this year is to support the work of Sleep in Heavenly Peace! You will find Lenten coin boxes for your self-denial offerings and other information about the work of this group on the table by the coffee area. Just look for the miniature bed on the table when you get your refreshments on Sunday!   
 
Make this day a great day and always pray,
                         Guide me in my giving, O Lord. Amen. 
                                                                                       Pastor Jack