Shockingly Generous Acts of Love

Aloha! I am so thankful for your prayers for my recuperation from the flu, and grateful to be back to normal (as normal as possible anyway!). Our penitential season of Lent continues this week as we draw closer to Palm Sunday and Holy Week. ​

Last Sunday was the Fourth Sunday in Lent, and we explored one of the most
beautiful and beloved of Jesus’s parables: The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32). With the story of the French film “The Grocer’s Son” as a backdrop, we thought about God’s forgiveness of each one of us, and what that forgiveness means for how we live our lives in response.

This Sunday is the Fifth and final Sunday in Lent, and we will focus on a very
intimate gathering captured in John 12:1-8, with Jesus in the home of Lazarus, Mary,
and Martha. It’s a shocking scene, fragrant with both expensive perfume and sacrificial devotion, and it urges us to consider what shockingly generous acts of love we might undertake for our loving Lord.

Rescheduled from last Sunday, we will have the final “Faith and Science” Adult
Formation class this Sunday in the Vicar’s office after worship. We will hear from Rev.
Dr. Tom Long on the topic of “Life and Death,” with video, audio, and lots of good
conversation. Please join us! See the article below with a scripture passage to study
and questions to ponder to prepare for our conversation.

Dear sisters and brothers, I am so grateful for you. You are in my prayers, and I
ask for your prayers for St. Timothy’s Church, for our dedicated staff and our devoted
lay leaders, and for your vicar. May God bless you and your loved ones in this holy
season. 

Aloha Ke Akua!
Fr. Pete+

On Sunday, April 6, Fr. Pete will lead the final session in the Faith & Science series on Life and Death. Come join us in the Vicar’s Office after worship for a time with video, audio, and conversation about this important question of faith. To help you prepare:
 
Read and Reflect: Psalm 90:1-4, 10, 12
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
​3 You turn us back to dust
    and say, “Turn back, you mortals.”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
    are like yesterday when it is past
    or like a watch in the night.
10 The days of our life are seventy years
    or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;
even then their span[a] is only toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.
12 So teach us to count our days
    that we may gain a wise heart.

Questions to Ponder Ahead of Time

• Where have you witnessed the glory of creation this week?
• Think about the last funeral you attended. How did the priest describe the person’s life and death?
• In what ways do you measure the quality of your life?
• Reflect on the many Bible passages that focus on life and death, and life after death. Do they have any images in common? What are some of those images?
• How do you “number your days”? Is this phrase hopeful or frightening to you?
• Read and reflect on the entire Psalm 90 in your Bible.