March 25, 2026 Weekly Update
Hello church family,
Ever have an awkward moment around the family dinner table? Maybe at Thanksgiving, or a summer BBQ? Last week we explored the Thursday of the first Holy Week. Jesus gathers with his followers for a Passover meal. In an effort to help his disciples fully comprehend the depth of his message and his love, he breaks bread and shares the cup. We now call this Holy Communion. It’s one of our two sacraments – sacred rituals – as United Methodists.
We often find the words of the Last Supper comforting, but to the disciples, the words of Jesus were shocking and unbelievable. “Eat his flesh? Drink his blood?! That’s outlawed in the Torah!” Jesus gathered a group full of fatigue and doubt—even the one who would betray him—and invited them into a new covenant with metaphor and symbols. In our own busy routines of work, caring for children, volunteering, or keeping up with our health, we are invited back to a table where greatness is measured by humility, and where even our enemies are welcomed into God’s love.
Does God’s love still shock you? Does it stir you toward reflection or service?
Pray with me this week:
Loving God, you do not wait for us to be perfect before inviting us to your table. When we are exhausted by the ‘go, go, go’ of our lives, pull us into the pace of your grace. Shock us once again with the depth of your love and help our congregation be a place where we ‘love one another as you have loved us’—serving, forgiving, and freeing one another in your name. Amen.
Lenten Blessings,
Pastor Jared