Brothers, Sisters, Friends,

First of all, thank you so much for the prayers, meals, love, and encouragement that you have given to my family and me in the past few weeks. Rachael is doing better and better, and we have certainly witnessed the power of prayer and the goodness of God at work in our lives.

March brings – hopefully – slightly warmer weather. It also marks the beginning of the season of Lent, which takes us from Ash Wednesday on March 5^th up until Easter Sunday. Traditionally, Lent is a time of unloading, of simplifying, of giving up things in our lives that are keeping us from full devotion to God.

In our continued trek through The Story, March also brings us into the New Testament. As we encounter the story of Christ, let us seek to do so with new eyes, new hearts, and a renewed spirit. It’s no surprise that, as Christians, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is central to our faith. This is the story on which all other stories hinge, in which all other stories find their meaning.

That’s true not only in the text of Scripture, but also in our lives today. How has your own story been shaped by Christ’s story? How has God woven them together? Are there parts of your story that need to be brought into the light, redeemed, and surrendered?

This month, let us prepare ourselves for everything that God has in store. More than that, by God’s grace, let us live it.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Zack