Eden Prairie United Methodist Church
Connect with Us!
  • Home
  • Being Church
    • Crops For PROP
    • Serving Our Neighbors
    • Fellowship >
      • Women's Retreat
      • Church Directory
  • Children | Youth
    • Nursery
    • Sunday School (Preschool through 7th grade)
    • Especially for Families
    • Rooted (3rd - 4th grade)
    • Vacation Bible School
    • Middle School Youth (Grades 7-8)
    • Confirmation (8th-9th grade)
    • Higher Ground (10th-12th grade)
  • Music
    • Adult Music Opportunities
  • About EPUMC
    • Worship
    • Staff
    • Notes from Pastor Becky Jo
    • Lay Leadership
    • A Reconciling Congregation
    • Tumbleweed Newsletters
    • Videos
    • Annual Report
    • Sermons
    • Calendar
  • Prayer
  • Online Giving
  • Contact Us

Weekly Memo from Pastor Dan – February  27,2014 

2/27/2014

Comments

 
It’s the week we are getting our pictures taken for our new picture directory at EPUMC.  If you were not able to schedule a portrait session, check out the website for openings or give the church a call to set up an appointment. Also remember you can submit a picture.  We hope that all of you reading this will participate; these directories are very helpful especially to those of us who are new to begin to put names and faces together.

A big thanks to Dennis and Betsy Evans for the work they have done coordinating this challenging project.  They’ve done a great job organizing and getting the word out. It will take a little while to put everything else together. With any luck we should have our directories by…. I’m gonna say, not long after the snow is gone. That’s not too much of a stretch, this year considering we’ll be lucky to have this snow gone by Vacation Bible School, which is in June. (We are shooting for a lot sooner than that.)

It took a little longer than some for Katie and I to have our portrait taken because, as the photographer told me, “ You are one of the more challenging blinkers I’ve had in months.”  I usually warn the photographer. Most of them are like the guy this week; they see me as a challenge to a routine, an extra layer of difficulty that inspires them.

I admire people like the Dennis and Betsy and the photographer for whom a challenge is something that inspires them.  I’ve been around enough of these folks to glean that what makes a challenge so inspiring to them is the possibilities they see. Others of us who shy away or blink at the fist sign of some barrier or difficulty take a little longer to open our eyes and see what could happen.

Next week begins a season in the church year we call Lent.  Lent is the 40 days excluding Sunday’s before Easter that begins this Wednesday.  We give this Wednesday a special name in the church and call it Ash Wednesday because if you come to church for the service at 6:45, which is just after the first Soup Supper that starts at 5:45, I’ll put Ashes on your forehead. This is a sign of our mortality. We say, “from dust you have come and to dust you shall return, repent and believe in the gospel.” and then I smear something that is suppose to look like a cross on your forehead. Now doesn’t that sound like fun?

Lent includes an emphasis on prayer and fasting and recognizing the challenges in our relationship with God.  This year our theme comes from a book entitled, “A World Worth Saving: Lenten Spiritual Practices for Action,” by George Donigian.  Donnigian invites us to give up apathy. He encourages us to recognize that our efforts, no matter how small they may seem do make a difference. The challenge is to do this by, “setting aside all your non-caring attitudes and move closer to the caring love of God.”

I am going to offer a study of this book on Tuesdays evenings beginning March 11th at 6:30.  We will explore the themes for Worship for the coming Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. Our study will have a little homework. You’ll be asked to identify and do something about current events that come into you attention during the week. That “doing” begins with a most difficult challenge which is recognizing that as the author says, “We cannot give up apathy the way my friend gives up liver for Lent. We must move from prayer to action.”  

I’m looking forward to this spiritually challenging inspiring season we call Lent at EPUMC.  I hope you will join me.

Keep the Faith!

Pastor Dan
Comments

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2012

    RSS Feed

Connect with us!
office@prairiechurch.org
(952) 937-8781

15050 Scenic Heights Road
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
Picture
Picture