Good morning, church family!
I’m sending out my midweek check-in a bit late this week.
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, a day on the church calendar in which we are reminded of the death and sin that lingers in our world.
Yesterday was also the funeral of a dear friend, Pastor Luke Wise, who was the pastor of the Nazarene church in Plainville, KS. Pastor Luke recently passed away after a two-year battle with cancer, and CJ and I attended his funeral in Plainville. His beautifully-written obituary accurately describes his life, and the funeral service was a wonderful testimony to his service to the Lord and his family. Please keep his family in your prayers, including his wife, Amanda, and their three young girls.
All this reminds us of… death. The phrase often repeated on Ash Wednesday: “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
We confront our own mortality and the fact that death remains a part of life.
Because God know how we’re made,
God remembers we’re just dust.
The days of a human life are like grass:
they bloom like a wildflower;
but when the wind blows through it,
it’s gone;
even the ground where it stood doesn’t remember it.
But the Lord’s faithful love is from forever ago to forever from now
for those who honor him.
Psalm 103:14-17a
In this harsh truth, we look with hope to a day when death will be no more. And that day is recognized most joyously on Easter Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead!
Ash Wednesday is 40 days (plus Sundays) away from that Easter celebration. So on Ash Wednesday we recognize the fact that we are sinners in need of a Savior. To that end, I also challenged each of us to make a sacrifice – to give up something – during Lent that will allow you to depend more fully on the Lord.
This is called the spiritual discipline of fasting. What will you fast from for the next six and a half weeks – all the way to Easter Sunday? I encourage you to select something that is a meaningful part of your life now but is worth giving up for a season.
Perhaps it’s social media, a certain game, TV channel or show. Perhaps it’s a habit, a drink, a snack – something to lay aside for now and by giving it up you’ll be better able to lean on the Lord.
Oh, I must find rest in God only,
because my hope comes from him!
Psalm 62:5
I am praying for you as you start this Lenten journey to Easter. As we sing about God’s faithfulness, may the Lord give you strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow!
And be sure to keep reading to see the latest announcements!
--Pastor Billy
NEW & EXISTING SMALL GROUPS: We are inviting the entire church to participate in the ABCs of 2025 (Active Prayer, Biblical Literacy and Community Building). One of the best ways to participate is to join a new or existing small group! Sign up cards to help find the right group for you are located on the table in the back of the sanctuary.
MEN’S BREAKFAST: The next men’s breakfast is this Saturday (March 8) at 7:30 a.m. with special guest speaker Pastor Kendall Franklin! All men are welcome to attend this free event. Invite a friend and come hungry!
HANDS TEAM: We have a “Hands Team” at the church made of men who are ready to assist those who need help with projects around the house. Email WLCCHands@gmail.com if you need assistance.
CRAFT CONNECTIONS: Hook and Needles has a new name: Craft Connections! Anyone interested in crafting can contact director Tiff Ward. The group’s next meeting is Monday (March 17) at 6 p.m. at the church.
WOMEN’S MINISTRIES EVENT: Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 22 for our next ladies’ event. Sign up at the display in the church lobby.
JUST FOR FUN
Hey, you read Pastor Billy's midweek check-in all the way to the end! As a reward, check out these crazy stories I came across recently:
A painting that says “Thou shalt not steal” was hanging in a church until last month when… it was stolen.
Tired of the rising costs of eggs? Now you can rent a chicken.
A mountain in China has grown in popularity recently because it looks like a puppy.