This Sunday our focus Scripture is Psalm 23. This very familiar Psalm begins with the verse, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Eugene Peterson renders this verse in The Message, "God, my Shepherd! I don't need a thing!"

As I've reflected on this verse I've asked myself, 'What does it mean to not want.' There are certainly things I want. I've had my eye on some pretty expensive sandals on Church Street. I would like to have some new pots and pans for my kitchen. But I don't think this is the kind of 'want' to which the Psalmist refers.

I think the Psalmist is talking more about the basic needs of life ~ both physical and spiritual. There are certain things we need ~ food, clothing, water, love. Without these life is either not possible or empty. It's affirming to know that God cares about our well-being.

So does that mean that if we don't get that new car or expensive pair of shoes, God doesn't care about us? I like what Dennis Bratcher wrote in his Scripture reflections, "...this Psalm makes a bold claim about God, that he really is concerned about the physical 'lacks' of our lives. Indeed, we must be cautious here lest we confuse the affluence and materialism of our consumer society with genuine needs."

Can you say with the Psalmist, "God, my Shepherd! I don't need a thing!"

As Christians, hopefully we take part in many great hours of sharing! This Sunday, though, we have a special opportunity to join with churches around the world to support our UMCOR through our One Great Hour of Sharing offering. At Faith UMC we will recognize this Sunday with special offering envelopes. Also, any additional moneys collected to cover the cost of our Lenten Breakfast will go toward this special offering.

As stated on the UMC website, "Your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing lay the foundation for UMCOR to seek justice and mercy for suffering people everywhere. You can be assured that when catastrophes cause suffering, your church, impelled by Jesus' love and compassion, will be in the lead to ease the pain."

To learn more about One Great Hour of Sharing, or to give a gift, please visit this link:

UMCOR: One Great Hour of Sharing

And join us on Sunday for our Lenten Breakfast (9:00am in Brand Hall) followed by Worship (9:30am in Brand Hall). Be There. Be Hope.

After a good work-out or a nice long walk it is refreshing to take a drink of cold water! Water sustains life. In fact, we can live for quite a while without food, but not very long at all without water. Recently we heard the news of water contamination in Japan. The government is telling the people of Japan not to panic and buy bottled water, but how can they not? The thought of not having water ~ or not having safe water ~ is terrifying.

And it is in this terror that we find the people of Israel this Sunday. Our Old Testament lesson is Exodus 17:1-7. Moses becomes so concerned about the people's demand for water that he is afraid for his own life. And what does God do? God provides the people with the water that they need.

These days, and in our part of the world, we often have more than enough water than we need, but that does not mean that we do not thirst. What is it that you thirst for? Where in your life do you feel dry and parched? What is lacking in your life? What complains or grumblings do you lift to God? And where have you experienced God's gift of living water lately?

Last week was vacation for me! I spent the week in Nebraska with my Mom. We visited, enjoyed music, watched movies and shopped. Yet, the background to our lovely week together was the tragedy unfolding in Japan. The devastation of the earthquake and tsunami were horrible, and added to that was the damage to the nuclear plants causing fear and risk to life. We would occasionally turn on the television to see what was happening, but it was almost too painful to watch.

When we see tragedies like this unfold ~ as well as those in Haiti and other parts of the world ~ it is easy to wonder, "Where is God?" Couldn't God stop the earthquake, halt the tsunami, repair the nuclear facilities? Why is there so much death and sadness in the world? I would love to have the answers to these questions, but unfortunately I do not. What I do know, though, is that God is with the people of Japan in the acts of love and compassion that are shared. And I believe in my heart that God is with us when we reach out to the people of Japan and others who are in need.

This coming Sunday we will be reading a passage from Exodus where we hear the people of Israel complaining about the lack of water as they travel through the desert on the way to the Promised Land. The people, in their despair, question, "Is God with us or not?" They get their answer as Moses strikes the rock and water gushes forth. God is with them as they quench their thirst in the dry desert land.

Below is a prayer for the people if Japan taken from "A Place for Prayer." Let us continually pray for God's presence to be felt among us and around the world.

O gracious God, who created this earth
who brought order out of chaos
who designed land and water
earth and sky and all creatures
be merciful in your grace once again
restoring order through the calamity
of the earthquake and tsunami that struck
disaster and took lives in Japan. Amen.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement, called the opportunities before us to grow in God our "Means of Grace." Our belief in and devotion to Jesus Christ is our primary means of grace. It is through this relationship that we are then able to experiences other means of grace. In Wesley's view means of grace can be understood at Works of Piety and Works of Mercy.

The works of piety are those inward things we can do to grow in God including prayer, Bible study and fasting. The works of mercy are those good things we do in the world including visiting the sick and imprisoned, feeding and clothing those in need and giving generously.

As we enter this time of Lent it might be a good time to reflect how we practice the means of grace. Are you feeling called to more or different works of piety or works of mercy? John Wesley preached that we must do both works of piety and works of mercy to move on toward Christian perfection. Are you feeling led toward a particular means of grace this Lenten season?

In two days we will enter the Season of Lent. Lent is a time of reflection, repentance and preparation as we approach Easter. During Lent we are invited to reflect on our lives, seek forgiveness for those things we have done wrong and embrace God's grace so we will be ready to meet the Risen Christ on Easter Morning.

For me, silence is an important part of my prayer time. My life is filled with many sounds! The radio, the TV, and even my inner dialogue often distract me from what is truly important in life. During this Season of Lent I have made a commitment to myself to spend more time in intentional silence. To help me with this discipline, I plan to start each day with this prayer by Henri Nouwen. I rediscovered it recently when it was posted on a prayer blog to which I subscribe. I share it with you in case you find it helpful as well in your Lenten discipline.

Dear God,
Speak gently in my silence.
When the loud outer noises of my surroundings
and the loud inner noises of my fears
keep pulling me away from you,
help me to trust that you are still there
even when I am unable to hear you.
Give me ears to listen to your small, soft voice saying:
"Come to me, you who are overburdened,
and I will give you rest...
for I am gentle and humble of heart."
Let that loving voice be my guide.
Amen.

Transfiguration Sunday ~ or "T-Fig" as pastor-types sometimes call it ~ is tomorrow. T-Fig is the Sunday we celebrate Jesus' journey up the mountain with Peter, James and John when Jesus was transformed in dazzling brightness and visited by Moses and Elijah.

Transfiguration Sunday is a sort of 'preview' of things to come. It takes place in the midst of Jesus ministry with the people and just before he begins his journey toward Jerusalem and his crucifixion. In our church year, Transfiguration closes out the Season of Epiphany ~ the season of wonder and awe ~ and sets us up for the Journey of Lent.

Sometimes we need a glimpse of the good things to come before we can face the difficult road ahead. That was probably true for the disciples. While they had no way to know it at the time, the Transfiguration would become something they could hold on to during the difficult days of Jesus arrest, trial and crucifixion. Because of the Transfiguration, they knew on some level that there was more to Jesus' life and mission than was readily visible in the happenings around them.

Have there been times in your life when you have been given a preview of the good things to come? Has there been an image or a message you have held on to in difficult times to help you get through? The Transfiguration could help the disciples ~ and can help us ~ remember that there is hope in God's dazzling brightness even in the darkest days.

Apparently I am not the only worry-wart in our congregation! Since Sunday's sermon on "worry" I've had several interesting conversations with others who struggle with worry and anxiety. As I've mentioned previously, I've lived with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder since I was assaulted in 2001. PTSD is an anxiety disorder resulting from a traumatic event and symptoms such as insomnia, hyper-vigilance and panic attacks have been part of my life. Thank God that, at this point in my journey, I have many more good days than bad. Yet I know how worry and anxiety can rob us of our joy, our hope, our life.

One way I've found to help lessen my anxiety is to live in the "now." I can't change the past. I can't control what will happen in the next minute, hour, day, or year. The only thing I do have some influence on is right now. I can chose to fret away my present moments, or I can chose to live them with joy and love. Some days it is easier to make this choice than others. When I am having a particularly worrisome day I try bring to mind Jesus' words, "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today."

What are some things you worry about? How do you deal with worry? Do you have a way to curb your worry so it doesn't take over your life? What do Jesus' words about worry mean to you?