ALPLAUS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
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Ash Wednesday Info
        As previously mentioned, this year Ash Wednesday is 2/17.  This is the day we start our Lenten journey.  We usually begin with an afternoon/evening service that includes the imposition of Ashes.  Last year we had a series of stations set up in the sanctuary for personal devotions at your leisure, ending with Ashes.
        What is the deal with Ashes on this day?  Have you ever wondered why we do this?  We can see when someone has been to a service and started their Lenten journey because the Ashes are visible on their face.  But in our worship, we specifically read in Matthew 6 about NOT making a show of our faith with outward signs…  It seems like a contradiction and it is a bit confusing.  Back in the day [Bible times] people who were repenting for a transgression or a significant change in attitude would adopt a manner that would involve humility and public display of repentance - wearing sackcloth and covering oneself with ashes.  This behavior of repentance would be very public and draw attention to a person’s devotion and faith.  Sometimes, it would be a bit of a show and occasionally more show than actual change.  This led to the teaching that repentance should be more private and less of a “production.”
        So why, then, do we have such a visible sign of repentance at the beginning of our Lenten season with the imposition of ashes?  Not for their visibility but as a reminder.  Primarily, the ashes are used to remind us that our life is finite.  We are born and we die as children of God.  Marking the beginning of our Lenten journey - as we dedicate ourselves to journey with Jesus to Jerusalem - we are remembering our own mortality and our fleeting opportunities to mend relationships, with God and with one another.  Traditionally, the palms from last year’s Palm Sunday - now crisp and dry, are burnt to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday [“Sunday’s Palms are Wednesday’s Ashes - as another Lent begins…” TFWS #2138].  We use these ashes to remember that the adoration of the crowds as Jesus entered into Jerusalem quickly turned to the crowd’s cry of “Crucify!”
        Can we enter Lent without Ashes on Feb 17?  Absolutely!  Look to Facebook and the website for worship elements and look for a little devotional booklet to come to you in the next couple of weeks.


Pastoral Message

2/5/2020

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It’s not new, and it’s not my own writing, but it spoke to me and I thought it might speak to you as well. While researching, I found this at http://ralphmiltonsrumors.blogspot.com, from Chris Duxbury in Australia.  It’s been bopping around the internet for years, and Chris is simply the last person to send it to me.  I’m not sure why I’ve resisted putting it here, but I will trust your powers of discernment because it’s interesting and quite possibly useful to you.
 
Installing Love Tech Support [TS]:  Yes?  How can I help you?
Customer [Cus]:  Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love.  Can you guide me
 through the process?
TS:  Yes.  I can help you.  Are you ready to proceed?
Cus:  Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready.  What do I do first?
TS:  The first step is to open your Heart.  Have you located your Heart?
Cus:  Yes, but there are several other programs running now.  Is it okay to install Love while they are
 running?
TS:  What programs are running?
Cus:  Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.
TS:  No problem.  Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system.  It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs.  Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem.  However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment.  Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed.  Can you turn those off?
Cus:  I don't know how to turn them off.  Can you tell me how?
TS:  With pleasure.  Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness.  Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.
Cus:  Okay, done!  Love has started installing itself.  Is that normal?
TS:  Yes, but remember that you have only the base program.  You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.
Cus:  Oops!  I have an error message already.  It says, "Error – Program not run on external components." What should I do?
TS:  Don't worry.  It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart.  In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.
Cus:  So, what should I do?
TS:  Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files:  Forgive Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.
Cus:  Okay, done.
TS:  Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory.  The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming.  Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Cus:  Got it.  Hey!  My heart is filling up with new files.  Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart.  Is this normal?
TS:  Sometimes.  For others it takes a while, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time.  So Love is installed and running.  One more thing before we hang up.  Love is Freeware.  Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet.  They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.
Cus:  Thank you, God.
 
Blessings,
Pastor Kristi

 


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