March

The season of Lent is upon us once again.  On Sunday, March 3, we will gather to celebrate the Lord’s glorious Transfiguration.

The climax of Epiphany is no doubt the Transfiguration, while the climax of Lent is found at Mt. Calvary. Both involve mountains.  What happened on Mt. Calvary was decided on another mountain, Mt. Hermon. Between the two peaks is the valley of Lent. Jesus comes down the mountain of Mt. Hermon, the place of His glorious Transfiguration and begins His journey "up to Jerusalem," to Mt. Calvary.

What all this means for us, living in the year of our Lord 2019 - We worship a living Christ who is the embodiment of the One and eternal God. Yet, He was despised and rejected.  We uphold the living Christ who, although men rejected Him; He bore our sins in His body that we, being dead to sin might live unto Him in righteousness.

To guide us along our Lenten journey we will offer once again a parish devotional based on the Psalms. From Transfiguration Sunday through Easter Tuesday a daily devotion will be offered through the Parish Web site and on our congregation’s facebook page. Print editions will also be available at the entrance of church. 

Our weekly mid-week Lenten service will focus on Jesus’ Seven words from the cross; culminating on Good Friday when Jesus cried from that cross, “Father, into Your hands I commend my spirit.”  An evening meal will be offered throughout Lent beginning at 6 pm in the Parish Hall. 

Our students at Wyneken will gather for worship at St. John, Bingen on Wednesday afternoon beginning at 1 pm from March 13- April 10. Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday services at Wyneken will be held in the morning with the imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday and individual absolution on Maundy Thursday.   Those who are not able to attend our evening mid-week services are cordially invited to worship with our students.  This year we will focus on some of the Penitential Palms from the Old Testament.

We live in a world in which many folk fail to understand what the cross of Christ really means. The cross of Christ is more than just simple jewelry. The cross is more than a good luck charm. It is the place where the Son of Man was suspended between earth and heaven. 

St. Paul tells us "I determine to know nothing among you except for Jesus Christ and Him crucified" As we review what the Lord has done in our midst may Jesus Christ be praised; may we lift up the cross of Christ as a banner for all to see. 

Jesus followed the will of the Father every single moment. Jesus came into this world "to fulfill all righteousness". We point people to Christ, who has fulfilled all of God's requirements.  He has done all things well. To this day, we proclaim a Changing Christ to a changing world. This has been our mission for the past 181 years. By God's good and gracious will may we continue to lift high His banner proclaiming and pointing people to Christ; our strength and our redeemer.

-Godspeed during your Lenten journey!