Every now and then, I see an advertisement to sign up for a trip to the Holy Land. I’m sure you have all seen them; this church or that sponsors it, and tries to get as many people as possible to sign up. They sound interesting. You get to walk (or take a bus) through modern villages and cities that bear the same names as places we read in the Gospels. Come see Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth. Walk the same land as Jesus did. I am sure they are interesting, and the tour guides are well informed, but somehow they just seem to lack something.
This year, I have decided to take my own pilgrimage, and I thought I would ask a few friends and family to join me. It’s not one of those seven or ten day whirlwind tours, but a full, forty-day immersion into the teachings of Christ. Imagine if you could experience all the stories that Jesus told to the masses, and His apostles, just as they heard it. Perhaps you could gain some new insights into what this parable meant, or how that parable stirred the souls of those who heard it. The words are Jesus’ own, and the tour guide is none other than the world famous Holy Spirit of God. Sound interesting?
This year, the Mt. Healthy Lenten Devotional is a forty-day study of the parables of Christ Jesus. Experience the teachings of Jesus for the first time, all over again. You are the friends and family I mentioned, and I would like you all to take this pilgrimage with me.
The devotional will be available here on the church web page (www.mthealthyumc.org), on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/mthealthyumc), or in a printed booklet at the church. The deadline to sign up for this spiritual adventure is Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14th. But don’t worry, we will be back in time for Easter!