Thursday Update, March 19
Family,
In preparation for Ash Wednesday and Lent members of the LABC community were invited to reflect on the words of Jesus as recorded in Luke 11:4 (New Revised Standard Version), “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.” Each week I will share one of the responses with you. I find them to be very meaningful and I trust that you will as well.
Jim H.
I hear faint echoes of physical debts in this translation — money
Mary Karne
borrowed, a cup of sugar — but the overarching, and usual
interpretation speaks of the larger, non-concrete, spiritual aspects of life.
“And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone.” Thank God she/he isn’t a “proportional” forgiver, measuring out forgiveness in amounts deemed just enough, but if we own up to our sins and ask forgiveness, it’s total and all-encompassing.
We’re told to “forgive and forget.” Forgiving, I find, is relatively
easy, especially if we get an apology. Forgetting? Not so much. It’s ironic, with my aging memory often deserting me, to find I’m still not able to completely forget someone’s “indebtedness” to me.
Not to be flippant, but maybe that’s the “time of trial” we pray to be spared!
Our Schedule of Online Gatherings
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/8599095914
Sunday – Worship, 10:00 a.m. (This Sunday’s theme will be Psalm 23)
Sunday – Bible Class, 11:45 a.m., Led by Pastor Carolyn
Tuesday – No Soup and Study, 6:30 p.m., Led by Pastor Jim
Wednesday – Prayer and Bible Study, 10:30 a.m., Led by Pastor Jim
Thursday – Together in Spirit (In the spirit of Colossians 2:5 we continue to “stand strong and hold on” in our faith with and for one another.), 6:00 p.m., Led by Pastor Carolyn
Friday – A Time To Connect (Join your LABC community for a time to connect with one another and God as we live through these unusual times), 12:00 p.m., Led by Pastor Allison
A Prayer
God of Love, Our prayers today focus on the well-being of our students, teachers and their families. For them this is a time of great uncertainty. “When” questions and “what-if” concerns abound. May peace surround them. May wisdom guide them. May hope befriend them. Amen.