Pastor Chris Seay shares an update on our ongoing partnership with local churches caring for the countless many still displaced along the Venezuelan border. As we look ahead to the season of Lent; forty days of prayer and temptation following Jesus in the desert, we ask how we are called to enter into and be transformed by rhythms of fasting. Our hope is for you to join us in pulling away from our excesses, living simply, and gathering our resources to continue making a place at the table for all.
Text
Isaiah 58: 3-8
John 6: 1-14
Matthew 14: 27-32
John 6: 48-51
Exodus 16: 2-5
“Many people in Western culture are striving for success. They want the great home, they want their business to work, they want all these outer things. But what we found in our research is that having these outer things does not necessarily guarantee what we really want, which is happiness. So we go for these outer things thinking they’re going to bring us happiness, but it’s backward. You need to go for the inner joy, the inner peace, the inner vision first, and then all of the outer things appear.”
- Marci Shimoff
Reflection & Practice
Lent is not about a fast simply for the sake of “giving something up” as an exercise in piety, but is a chance to explore the state of our hearts and what keeps us holding tightly onto the many comforts of our lives. Over the coming weeks, we invite you to consider:
How will you be mindful of what you consume; whether food & drink, electronics & media, shopping, or otherwise? Perhaps you may consider using what is saved to join us in loving our Venezuelan family. Apart from feasting on the Sabbath, many of us will be eating a simple diet as prescribed in Chris’ book A Place At The Table: chicken, beans, rice, salad, and tortillas.
Please consider joining us in daily prayer for many of our friends along the border. To be sent the list of names, contact lent@ecclesiahouston.org
We will begin Lent on Ash Wednesday this week, February 26th (Noon & 6pm Downtown, and 6pm West Side). Please join us!
Worship Set
I Need Thee Every Hour
Solid Rock
In Christ Alone
Come And See
Christ Is The Light Of The World
May You Find A Light