While we all know exercise is important to our health, and most agree that we should exercise more, it can be a struggle. Run? Why run when you can stay put! Why run when you can drive, or ride? But, Research shows that running, more than other aerobic activity, keeps you healthy from the inside out. Did you know?:
- Running makes you happier. …
- Running helps you lose or maintain weight. …
- Running strengthens your knees (and your other joints and bones, too). …
- Running will keep you sharper, even as you age. …
- Running reduces your risk of cancer.
So, running is good. Walking is good. Any kind of aerobic exercise is beneficial. But the direction and object of our running is more important than the running itself. Have you ever had a day leaving you feeling like you were on a treadmill? Have you ever exerted lots of energy to do something great, only to be left dismayed with the underwhelming outcomes? Have you ever run with a right spirit of dedication only to realize you were ruining in the wrong direction? Well, that kind of running can be draining and unproductive. Lots of motion, but no progress! This week’s Gospel of Grace from Luke 15 reminds us that we’re not the only ones running as we consider Jesus’ parable depicting God as running for us! That’s right, imagine God running to meet us where we are, no matter where we are. God is running to catch up to us regardless of what we are caught up in. God runs to us, with us, and for us to bring words we long to hear: “You are loved.” “You are forgiven.” “I want to bless your whole life!” I will give you a future of hope.”
If you need to hear these powerful words, invest 30 minutes of your time and listen to this message from God’s word titled, “The Day God Ran.” If anyone knows something about running, its God. On our Lenten Journey, God is running for you with the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
There is a place for you, here! (If you’re new to our church, discover more about what we believe and why we do what we do by visiting a special Welcome First-Time Guests page on our website.)
Have you seen the new McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish commercial? This humorous ad features a toy mechanical fish mounted on a wall who sings, “Gimme that fish, O Gimme that fish…” announcing the return of the Filet-O-Fish sandwich. Have you ever wondered why the Filet-O-Fish Sandwich is so heavily promoted the same time every year? Hint: The special fish promotion always occurs during the 40 days of Lent. That’s right. It all started in a predominately Catholic neighborhood in Ohio when, in 1959, a McDonald’s franchise owner named Lou Groen noticed plummeting hamburger sales every Lenten season. Instead of just suffering through the 80% drop in sales, he decided to meet the needs of his customers by developing a non-meat alternative. The incredible success in delivering what his community needed is, as they say, history.
We know figs are remain a very popular fruit in the United States, but did you know that it was the abundant vitamins found in figs that motivated a Philadelphia baker in 1851 to produce a machine that could stuff the nutrient rich fig jam into pastry dough. 
In the photo (right) you can see Jerusalem through a window from inside the Dominus Flevit Church. The church gets its name because its designed in the shape of a teardrop to symbolize the tears of Christ (Luke 19) when Jesus becomes overwhelmed by tears of love for the city and its people.
The church’s name, Dominus Flevit, is Latin for “Jesus has wept.” This week’s Gospel also describes the intense love Jesus has for us. For you! Can you recall a time when you were moved to tears of love and compassion for another or others? Of course, some of us express deep emotion with tears, while for others, the tears appear less so, but we all can intensely feel empathy and loving concern that moves us to action on behalf of another.
What is the color for St. Patrick’s Day? Sure, white! No? How about orange? Well, for some it is! But you’re right, green is the color usually associated with St. Patrick’s Day. . But did you know that St. Patrick’s Day also includes the colors orange and white. Do you know why? Because the Irish flag has these three colors! The white in the middle represents the peace between the Irish (Green) and the Northern Ireland (Orange). St. Patrick loved the people of Ireland and is know to have cried tears of love and went to Ireland to tell them the story of Jesus. Jesus sheds tears for us, too. Jesus loves all of us, of every color and nation. Let’s remember this St. Patrick’s Day Jesus’ tears of joy. Each of you can have a green, crystal glass teardrop to represent God’s love for you! Let’s share the teardrops with others in the congregation this morning!
Why do so many Biblical hero’s end up in the wilderness? While Adam started in a garden, he and Eve ended up in the wild. Jacob, Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, and the Apostle Paul, to name a few, had wilderness experiences, too. Oh, and of course, Jesus! This week we will meet Jesus where the wild things are. And we will discover that God is present with us when resources run out and unexpected challenges make the way unbearable. God provides a way where there is no way. Do you ever feel you’re in the wilderness? Sure, we all do, at least from time to time. This Sunday, find wilderness tools for the Lenten journey. There is a place for you, here! (If you’re new to our church, discover more about what we believe and why we do what we do by visiting a special Welcome First-Time Guests page on our website.)
Mardi Gras is all the buzz this week. From New Orleans to Cape May, the festive celebrations that precedes Lent’s constraints is a lot to take in as groups of people interact at arm’s length along streets and balconies.