Dear Family in Christ, 

 

Lent is a time of spiritual growth. Since becoming a member of the Parma Lutheran Church family, Lent has becomefor me a great time of spiritual growth. This is due in large part because of our fellowship gatherings at our Lenten Wednesday soup suppers & devotionals. Being with you these Wednesday evenings during Lent have affirmed for me one of the great spiritual truths that is together we grow spiritually. Alone we flounder. 

 

The season of Lent began as a period of training for those preparing for their baptism and first communion on Easter Sunday. It developed into a time of increased prayer, study, and spiritual growth, not just for new Christians preparing to become members of a church family, but for all church members.  For many of us of the PLC family, Wednesdays in Lent are a time of fellowship, enjoying great soups, and spiritual growth. 

 

Maybe you haven’t attended a Wednesday soup supper & devotional among us before. I encourage you to give it a try. You might find that the fellowship will strengthen your faith. Just being together with other Christians allows the Holy Spirit to work among us. As baptized believers in Christ Jesus the Holy Spirit indwells and teaches us, and strengthens our faith.  Every chance we get to gather in fellowship is an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to teach, guide, and even hold us accountable through our fellowship with one another. 

 

Our gathering allows those who mourn to experience consolation. Those who are lonely find love and companionship. Families with young children get a break from cooking, and enjoy additional adult conversation, and the kids have an opportunity to discover for themselves the joy of Christian fellowship through play. Old-timers share their wisdom with the young, as they themselves are spiritually energized by the growing faith and joy of the young.  Our fellowship gatherings give opportunity for the Marthas among us to serve, and for the Marys to sit at the feet of the Holy Spirit who speaks through each of us. When we fellowship, there are opportunities to mentor and to be mentored.  

 

Another wonderful thing happens when we gather together as baptized believers in Christ Jesus, we come together united in the love of Christ.  Our fellowship provides us practice in living our lives in the Spirit of Christian love that we can, by faith, then return to our everyday lives to live as Christ would have us live in a conflicted world. Jesus calls us to love our enemies, to love our neighbors as ourselves. As God revealed God’s love for the world through Jesus to us, we in turn reveal Jesus’ love to all people through us.

 

Come join the fellowship Wednesday evenings during Lent, and anytime we gather for worship and fellowship. Come enjoy great homemade soups, fellowship, and a 30-minute devotional after our meal. This year we’ll reflect upon Jesus’ words he spoke from the cross. Jesus’ words uttered from the cross will provide us a compass to navigate our lives of faith through the difficult and conflicted times in which we live. The world needs the love of Christ now more than ever!      

 

Journeying with you in Christ,

Pastor Jay