21 min

"Break the Yoke of Independence"

 Sermon from the 2nd Sunday of Lent

This sermon is inspired by the following Scripture passages:

Isaiah 58:9

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am, if you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil. (NRSV)

1 Kings 19:1-13

1 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow." 3 Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you." 8 He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He answered, "I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." 11 He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (NRSV)

Luke 13:31-35

31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." 32 He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, "Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.' 34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.' " (NRSV)

Join us for the Annual TNT (Twenties and Thirties Group) Ice Skating Outing:

• Sunday, March 3, 2013
• 12:30pm
• Gather in the Church Narthex
• We'll be going tot he new Canal Park Ice Rink
  (2nd & M St SE)

This will be a fun afternoon of skating and fellowship. 

There are several restaurants near the ice rink, so some may choose to stop in and grab a bite on the way or some may choose to head straight to the rink. 

As always, TNT is a state of mind;
all are welcome, regardless the age on your driver’s license. 

If you plan to attend, please contact BJ Shannon at beej19@hotmail.com or 703-217-3705 so we will know to wait for you!

23 min

20 min

Break Every Yoke Café

A Special Lenten Menu for CHUMC
Welcome to our faith community where we come hungry for God and seek the spiritual food that truly satisfies.

This Lenten Season, we have four “specials.” We encourage you to choose at least one of the four or create your own fast that meets your spiritual needs at this time.

Special # 1: A Slice of Serenity

Have you tasted “the peace that passes understanding” or have you not had time for such a treat?

• Fast from Technology and Feast on Serenity
  Here’s the recipe:
  • Choose one day each week or two hours each day.
  • Turn off your phone, TV, and computer for that prescribed time.
  • Fill the time reading a favorite book (maybe the Bible?), walking outside, journaling, or prayer and meditation.

Special # 2: A Fountain of Freedom

Want the robust flavor of freedom or are you settling for the short-lived satisfaction of a bad habit or addiction?

• Fast From a Fixation and Feast on Freedom
  In this special, we encourage you to:
  • “Pick your poison” (Unhealthy Habit/Addiction: alcohol, cigarettes, sweets, excessive internet use, over-working, adult entertainment, etc.)
  • Fast from it cold for the full forty days.
  • Join one of our Wednesday Small Groups for support.
  • Participate in the 7:00am and / or 9:00pm Prayer Calls.
  • Identify ways you can seek God when the desire to partake kicks-in.
  • Celebrate what you’re free to do because you’re not bound by the old habit.

Special # 3: The Alms-Giving Joy

Do money worries make you feel like a nut? Would you like to taste the sweet pleasure of giving freely
to others, especially those in need?

• Fast from Unnecessary Spending and Feast on Generosity
  • Choose one or several habits/pleasures that costs money (ie: clothes shopping, daily Starbucks, etc.)
  • Commit not to spend money on this habit throughout Lent.
  • Choose a charity of your choice or choose the church!
  • Calculate the money you saved, add it to your Lenten total, and thank God for the opportunity to house, feed, educate, etc. another child of God, then pray that you will learn to give with the extravagance that Christ gave on the cross.

Special # 4: Taste of God’s Creation

Do you long for balance with God’s creation? Would you like to find ways you can cut your personal
consumption and save energy for all God’s creatures?

• Fast from Over-Consumption and Feast on God’s Creation
  This special is filled with scrumptious variety.
  • Read Genesis, chapters one and two.
  • Pick up the Creation Care Daily Calendar at the back of the sanctuary, download it HERE, or follow us on Facebook and get the daily suggestion at 3:00pm each day.  Then, try each daily suggestion.
  • Enjoy a taste of Eden by living in unity with all God created.

What will you fast from and for during Lent 2013?
Consider an ecological fast.  Give up items and activities that will be better for God's good creation. 

We have created a calendar of things you can fast from and for daily throughout Lent, but you might also want to come up with something of your own.  You can download a PDF of the calendar by clicking the image below, or follow us on Facebook where we'll post the recommended eco fast for each day at 3:00pm during Lent!

Questions?  Need more information about how to perform these fasts?  Interested in helping with CHUMC Green Team Minstries?  Contact the team leader, Liz Schmitt (lizschmitt07@gmail.com).

The earth is the LORD's and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants too.
Because God is the one who established it on the seas; God set it firmly on the waters.
Psalm 24:1-2 (CEB)

The Lenten season begins with Ash Wednesday, and there are many ways to stretch your spiritual life and to break the yokes that bind us, including daily prayer.  

All are invited to join in prayer time each day of Lent starting Thursday, February 14 - Saturday, March 30:

• 7:00am and / or
• 9:00pm

The calls run about 5 to 7 minutes in length and include a Scripture reading and a prayer.  You do not need to talk during the call, although many of us do introduce ourselves at the start of the call.  Listening and praying along with the leader is okay.

• At 7:00am and / or 9:00pm, dial: (712) 432-0800.
• Enter Access Code: 770739#
• The leader will wait a minute or two before reading a Scripture passage, followed by prayer.
• You may be prompted to announce your name. If you join the call late, please do not announce your name. Simply join the prayer.
• As participants join or leave the call, the sound of a bell can be heard until the call leader turns the bell off.

For more information or to volunteer to lead a prayer time, contact Kirsten Gullickson (Kirsten@Gullickson.com).

25 min 

"The King Who Comes to You"

the final sermon of the series:
 Kings and Servants:
 A Study of Leadership, Governance,
 and Relationships

This sermon is inspired by the following Scripture passages:

Zechariah 9:9-10

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
   Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
   triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
   on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 
10 He* will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
   and the warhorse from Jerusalem;
and the battle-bow shall be cut off,
   and he shall command peace to the nations;
his dominion shall be from sea to sea,
   and from the River to the ends of the earth. 

Luke 9:28-36

28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus* took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake,* they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings,* one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. 34While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen;* listen to him!’ 36When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Interested in understanding the meaning of baptism?
Considering baptism for yourself and / or your child?

This class is for you!

Join Pastor Alisa for a discussion of the theology of baptism as well as the pragmatics:

• Sunday, February 24, 2013
• 9:30am
• Pastor Alisa's Study on the 2nd Floor
  (down from the Nursery)
• Childcare available!

For more details or to RSVP, contact Pastor Alisa (pastor@chumc.net or 202-546-1000).

Can't make this date but are interested? 
Contact Pastor Alisa to make other arrangements!

This Lent we will look at the things that bind or limit us spiritually and explore practices of fasting and feasting that will help us encounter true freedom in Christ. 

In preparation for Lent, we will have a Pancake Feast (with King Cake) for the entire Ebenezer Circuit:

• At CHUMC (using our new kitchen!)
• Tuesday, February 12, 2013
• 5:30-7:30pm
• A donation of $5 / adult and $2 / child is recommended (though not required)
• Please RSVP at office@chumc.net so we have enough pancakes!

Bring the kids along and participate with them in kid-friendly activities!

Want to help make this event a success? 
Contact the church office:
office@chumc.net or 202-546-1000.