Our Life with Jesus 20-21

  "All who believed were together and had all things in common . . ."--Acts 2:44 Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-35 describe a community of faith born of God's Spirit and living in the Spirit's power.  Let's read the texts carefully and note the qualities of a "spirited community:" --daily worship together --a devotion to prayer --a devotion to learning (careful listening and applied practice) --a devotion to fellowship and a shared table --the celebration of the Lord's Supper --glad and generous hearts --constant praise of God --distribute possessions as any have need (no "absolute" private property) --thankful --entire community is cared for --growing ---committed to spreading the good news of God's love everywhere As we read through the texts we marveled at the emphasis on how the people in the first church were wiling to sell their private property, even homes, in order to have enough resources to take care of everyone in the community (

We believe in you, O God, Eternal Spirit, God of our Savior Jesus Christ and our God, and to your deeds we testify: You call the worlds into being, create persons in your own image, and set before each one the ways of life and death.  You seek in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin. You judge people and nations by your righteous will declared through prophets and apostles.  In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Savior, you have come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to yourself. You bestow upon us your Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues and races. You call us into your Church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be your servants in the service of others, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ's baptism and eat at his table, to join in the passion a

The word confirm means "to make firmer or stronger." Through baptism you were welcomed into the worldwide community of the Christian Church. God's covenantal claim of love, from the very beginning and extending throughout your life journey in gracious ways, was celebrated.  Parents, family, and community made promises to nurture you in the faith and accompany you in your journey of growth until you made your own decisions of faith. Our promises were to God and to one another. Confirmation is the process through which you confirm your relationship with God and your growth in it, celebrating your God-given life and claiming your identity as a disciple of Jesus. You   confirm the essence of the promises once made on your behalf. A Confirmand considers giving her/himself wholeheartedly to God, seeking to know God's will for your life.  You acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Savior to follow all the days of your life.  You seek the Holy Spirit's guidance in all you do

  "Open my hands, Lord." It is a Lenten prayer, simple and powerful.  We can hang onto many things in life very tightly, including our familiar routines.  Many routines can help us, but when they become rigid, there is little room for anything else. When we are gripping something very tightly our hand is closed.  But if, with God's help, our hand can actually open--particularly if it has been closed, or we  have been closed, for a long time--the shape of our hand changes.  With an open hand, we become prepared to receive, and to be equipped for life that will be open-handed instead of closed-fisted. The season of Lent involves opening our lives to God repentantly, and doing some unpacking, unburdening, in order to move, to make breathing room, to create space for new life that is God's gift to us.  This is what the spiritual discipline of fasting about.  It is typically related to giving up food for a time-limited period, while entering into prayer.  Fasting can be a

artwork by Jan Richardson  

 Below are pictures of different locations in our church sanctuary.  Can you identify each one, and its purpose?  There is great symbolism and history in many of  the images.  What do they represent?  Take a careful look!  Answer the questions as fully as you can.  Don't be afraid to do some research!