The truth is that my story isn’t very glamorous. I was a hooligan as a youngster. My friends and I would walk through the local shops to pocket whatever goodies weren’t locked down. We vandalized property and acted like the law didn’t apply to us. One Easter morning, my parents compelled me to go to church. I remember sitting up in the balcony because I wanted a quick way out as soon as it was over. As I looked down on the church people, I heard the preacher talk about God in a way that caught my attention. He described the basics of the Easter story. He started by saying that God loves us and created us to know God and experience a good life. What caught my attention was that he didn’t talk about God as some judgmental guy in the sky who was disappointed with me. Instead, God wanted me to know him and gave me the opportunity to be alive so I could do that, and I realized that I also wanted to know God. The message continued to describe how we are separated from God by sin and death. Nobody needed to tell me about death. My sister had died unexpectedly a few years earlier, and my whole family was still reeling from her loss. I knew the pain of losing someone close to me, but I kept blocking out the darkness from my heart. I also knew about sin. I knew that lying, stealing, and cheating were wrong, but I just kept on doing it, mainly when I was with my friends. This led to a bunch of guilt that I was carrying around. Perhaps the most amazing thing I heard was that Jesus came to be our best friend and died so we could live. I had never thought of Jesus as a friend, but when I heard that he took on the punishment for everything I had done, I was fascinated to learn more about him. Apparently, Jesus knew everything I had done and loved me anyway. He also decided to go to the cross to die in my place to pay the price for all the stuff that I had done. He did this so that I could be set free from sin and death and live. I remember being blown away that Jesus did this because of God’s love for me. He is the best friend I could ever have. When Jesus rose from the dead, it was proof that God’s power overcomes death and sin. The message ended with the encouragement that we are invited to respond to God’s love and begin a right relationship with God. Honestly, I don’t remember what else was said in the sermon because I closed my eyes and simply prayed “God, I know that I’ve messed up my life, but thank you for your love and for sending Jesus to be my friend. Help me to be the person you want me to be.” It was a simple prayer, but I immediately felt that a huge weight had been taken from me. I knew that God had forgiven me and that I had a new friend in Jesus. I can’t say that everything has been perfect since that time. It wasn’t easy to say no to doing the things that I had done before, and I still do things that I know I shouldn’t. I also still experience pain and hurt in my life, but I know that I am not alone because Jesus is with me. He is the best friend I could ever have. My Easter story is just one example of the change that God can make in a person’s life when they simply ask for God’s forgiveness and start a new life with Jesus. I want to invite you to hear that same message of God’s love today and consider if you are ready to let go of the things of the past and begin a new relationship with God. I invite you to pray a simple prayer like the one above and ask Jesus into your life. Even now, as you read these words, just pause and pray to God. If you want to learn more about how to have a relationship with Jesus, please call or text me so I can help you take the next steps.

Jesus prayed for his disciples and the future generations of believers to be of one heart and mind. – John 17:20-21 Can you imagine a church where Christians of every denomination worship and work together? Believe it or not, this happens every week on US military bases worldwide. I often describe my experience growing up in this kind of church as being part of a convertible church. This is because it was designed to be changed to accommodate a wide variety of worship styles and theological perspectives. The walls had depictions of religious art that celebrated Catholic and Protestant stories of faith. The cross had a swivel, so it could be turned to show the crucifix on one side and the standard protestant cross on the other. We even celebrated communion in three different ways every month. This does not mean those who came were unclear in their understanding of faith. Instead, each person was encouraged and challenged to dig deeper to understand their faith so they could live more fully into who God had called them to be. As a young person in the church, I remember being surrounded by Christian leaders from various backgrounds who were passionate about their faith. They didn’t always agree, but they celebrated God and the diversity of their perspectives and worship together. I wonder what it would look like for believers today to grasp the truth that Jesus is the true Lord of the church regardless of the denomination. We might learn to appreciate a Jesus who is larger than our own limited personal experience. As we begin the season of Lent this month, we will hear several perspectives of what Jesus has done for us at the cross. This great mystery is far greater than any one person's understanding. Through the centuries, different groups of Christians have understood this mystery in diverse ways. Each of these has something to teach us if we are listening. You are invited to come and discover the depths of God’s love and grace through Jesus. Pastor David