February 2015: A Word from Pastor Anne

A Word from Pastor Anne
Warm Hearts

2015 is moving right along! Maybe you had some new year spiritual resolutions and hopes for this year that have already gone to the wayside. It is not too late to get on track!

Really, life is a series of going astray and opportunities to get back on track with God. So don’t be ashamed or afraid! We all need God’s help and the help of others. Just get started again and don’t let what happened keep you away from God.

Lent is a time of preparation before Easter to get our lives ready to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! Some of us give up things as a sacrifice to God or proactively do things that are pleasing to Him. How can we clean out some things that get in the way and make more space for Jesus in our lives?

This Lent we will start off the first weekend with a Revival: A Christ Centered Heart. As followers of Jesus, we welcome Jesus into our heart to be our Lord. That step is important but what about all the steps following? Our lives matter to God.

John Wesley was devout and smart. He still needed the Holy Spirit to change and touch his heart. He could not make it happen himself but in worship on Aldersgate Street he knew his heart was strangely warmed. He knew that for all his imperfections at following God, God did love him. He knew the assurance of God in his life and he was never the same.

We all need that Spirit warming of our hearts. We are excited to have Rev. Siosifa Hingano from Genesis UMC in Milpitas as our Revival preacher.

We will also look at how to be in places to keep our hearts warmed and basic tools to get on track. It doesn’t happen by magic. It includes our effort to go where God is and practice hearing from the Spirit.

May God’s Spirit move in and among us to share God’s good news beyond our walls!