A Journey through Lent 2017

First Sunday in Lent

Make a “crown of thorns” wreath to serve as a home devotional feature. Make or purchase a grapevine wreath (or equivalent) to use as the base. Insert six purple candles, one for each remaining week of Lent, and a white candle to represent Christ.

Light one candle the first week, two candles for the week after, and so on. Begin Holy Week (on Palm Sunday) with all of the six purple candles lit, then extinguish one candle each night thereafter. Light the Christ candle as you celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday.

This week, read Matthew 4:4 (CEV). “The Scriptures say: ’No one can live only on food. People need every word that God has spoken.’” (Scripture Verse for the Week) as you light the first candle.  Then say this prayer together: Lord God, give us a hunger for your Word, the Bread of Life. Amen. (Matthew 4:4)

Second Sunday in Lent

This week, light two purple candles. Read John 3:16 (CEV). “God loved the people of the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” and as you do so, say this prayer together: God, thank you for showing us your great love through Jesus. Make our lives signs of your love to those around us. Amen.

Third Sunday in Lent

This week, light three purple candles on your “crown of thorns” wreath. Read John 4:42 (CEV). They told the woman, “We no longer have faith in Jesus just because of what you told us. We have heard him ourselves, and we are certain that he is the Saviour of the world!” Then say this prayer together: Pour your love into our hearts, God, and let it overflow to others. Amen. (Romans 5:5)

Fourth Sunday in Lent

This week, light four purple candles on your “crown of thorns” wreath. Read Ephesians 5:8-9a (CEV). “You used to be like people living in the dark, but now you are people of the light because you belong to the Lord. So act like people of the light and make your light shine. Then say this prayer together:  Jesus, light of the world, please take away our blindness. Help us to see and believe in you. Amen. (John 9:5-6)

Fifth Sunday in Lent

This week, light five purple candles on your “crown of thorns” wreath. Read John 11:25-26 (CEV). “I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Then say this prayer together: Lord Jesus, fill us with your resurrection life today. Help us to live for you. Amen. (John 11:25; Romans 8:5)

Sixth Sunday in Lent

On Palm Sunday light all six purple candles on your “crown of thorns” wreath. Read Philippians 2:7-8 (CEV). ““He gave up everything and became a slave, when he became like one of us. Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a cross.”

Then extinguish one candle. Say this prayer together: Merciful God, we thank you for your work of salvation that comes from your self-giving love through the obedience of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the following five days of Holy Week, follow the same pattern – light all six candles, read a Bible verse, extinguish candles (one more each day) and say the prayer together:

Monday	Matthew 26:1-13	Extinguish 2 candles
Tuesday	Matthew 26:14-16	Extinguish 3 candles
Wednesday	Matthew 26:17-30	Extinguish 4 candles
Thursday	Matthew 27:11-30	Extinguish 5 candles
Friday	Matthew 27:1, 31-54	Extinguish 6 candles

On Saturday, don’t light any candles. Read Isaiah 53:9 and say the prayer together.

Easter Sunday

Light the Christ candle as you celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Read Matthew 28:5-6 (CEV). The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. He isn’t here! God has raised him to life, just as Jesus said he would.” Say this prayer together: Risen Lord Jesus, please take away our fears. Help us to go wherever you send us. Amen. (Matthew 28:10)

Easter Sunday is the most important day of the church year, but the celebration of Easter does not end there. It continues for a full fifty days until Pentecost. The “Great Fifty Days of Easter” are a wonderful opportunity to explore and celebrate Easter more fully than we can possibly squeeze into a single day. Make up a large cross out of poster board, cardboard, or wood. Cut out “flowers” from sheets of coloured paper. During the Easter season, ask one person to share something they saw or experienced during the day, which gives cause to say “Alleluia.” Then, have that person place a “flower” on the cross. On Pentecost Sunday, you will have a colourful reminder of God’s good work in your lives.

Church Unity: a challenging experience!

I've always been convinced that faith must have social impact - otherwise it is worthless. So, when we arrived in a certain town a few years ago, we felt a strong calling (Firita and I) to act as conduits for Christian unity (which we believe is vital for social impact). We invited church leaders for a meal (across the denominational spectrum) and shared the vision. It was embraced with enthusiasm and resulted in weekly prayer meetings and strengthened the existing pulpit exchange and various community engagements. I formed lasting relationships across the denominational lines. Looking back I think that that is perhaps the most fulfilling time in my ministry. One day a pastor (that I came to have a really good relationship with) told the rest of us that he was "told by God" to stop working with "unbelievers" like us. It tore us apart. I felt betrayed and used (so he could gain standing in the community). I became so weary of ecumenical partnerships (even though I've never lost the conviction that Jesus' heart for us was unity as set out in his John 17 prayer). I struggle to understand why we have to build our own kingdoms at the expense of God's loving and inclusive Reign.  It's been a long journey; wrestling with Scripture, deep prayer and conversation (with others). But today I want to commit myself publicly again to the difficult work of working with others for the sake of God's Reign. We cannot be effective on our own. We need each other. And this is what Jesus prayed that we should do (John 17). The old African proverb is still relevant today: When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion. Let us pray for unity of Christ's Church as we prepare for Pentecost Sunday.

Dad

Dad, I look at you and I see a human being fully alive; embracing life in all its fullness - ups and downs, yet refusing to stay down. You embody the meaning of resilience, determination and faith. Who we are today is so much because of the values that you taught us. I can treat my wife (and all others) with respect and love, because I saw you doing that with mommy (and every other creature of God). I am always proud to tell others whose son I am! Love you dad!

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Rest in Peace Judah!

It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the untimely death of my nephew, Judah Pedro - the youngest son of my brother Roger Pedro and my sister-in-law Desiree Pedro.

Judah was born on the 17th of December 2013 and tragically died on the 06th of April 2015 (today).

When we said our goodbyes on Sunday the 06th of July 2014, it never even crossed our minds that we would never see your angelic smile again.

You were such a special child - a gift from our Lord that we will never forget.

Our hearts are broken. Words cannot express the deep grief we feel tonight.

Rest in Peace Little One.

Holy Week Services (2015) in the Northampton Methodist Circuit.