Christ and the Fig Tree Reflection

Christ and the Fig Tree Reflection
for the Community.
Modern Song Focus on Contemporary Church Artists
performing hymns of traditional foundation.
Everyone is Welcome!

Christ and the Fig Tree Reflection Introduction:
Isaiah calls for us to recognize the fullness of our Lord. A new day under a new king was traditionally met with a forgiveness from debt and a banquet. The Lord will quench our thirst for knowledge and forgiveness. Lent is an invitation for us to thirst for the Lord and seek Him.
Our psalm invites us to long for our Lord as least as much as the way in which we long for the presence of a loved one who is departed and physically separated from us for some time.
In Corinthians Paul is counseling his people from a physical distance by means of a letter. Believers must be prepared to manage challenges that arise in life. It is better for an entire community to support one another through testing than it is for an individual to carry this burden alone.
A conversation at the community water well: While Pilate was in power there was a massacre of Galilean Pilgrims. We can draw the act of blood shed here to that of Christ’s own blood shed while under Pilate’s reign of brutality. The Tower of Siloam appeared to fall on unsuspecting people by natural means. Both stories end people’s lives for no apparent good reason. Jesus tells us not to credit divine punishment for tragedy. Jesus does not assure us freedom from calamity, rather we must repent for that control we have upon ourselves. In the parable of the fig tree, Jesus likens repentance to a changed mind. Humanity, given its vulnerability, is a gift that we must care for in ourselves and others.

You Shall Cross the Barren Desert Be Not Afraid
Robert Dufford
performed by Michael John Talbot

You shall cross the barren desert,
but you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety,
though you do not know the way.

Christ and the Fig Tree Reflection Scripture:
Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Is. 55:6.
O Lord God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Ps. 63:1.
So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. 1 Cor. 10:12.
The Parable of the Fig Tree. No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Luke 13:3.

Prayer:
God of the covenant,
in the glory of the cross
your Son embraced the power of death
and broke its hold over your people.
In this time of repentance,
draw all people to yourself,
that we who confess Jesus as Lord
may put aside the deeds of death
and accept the life of your kingdom. Amen.
Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us
Dorothy Thrupp (1836).
piano accompaniment by Rick Betts

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

Prayer:
Faithful God of love,
you blessed us with your servant Son
so that we might know how to serve your people
with justice and with mercy.
We gather the needs of ourselves and others,
and offer them to you in faith and love,
seeking to be strengthened to meet them.
Shape us and transform us by your grace,
that we may grow in wisdom and in confidence,
never faltering until we have done all that you desire
to bring your realm of shalom to fulfillment. Amen.

Safe in the Arms of Jesus
Fanny Crosby (1868).
performed by Altar of Praise Chorale

Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o’ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.
Hark! ’tis the voice of angels
Borne in a song to me,
Over the fields of glory,
Over the jasper sea.

Prayer:
God of infinite goodness,
throughout the ages you have persevered
in claiming and reclaiming your people.
Renew for us your call to repentance,
surround us with witnesses to aid us in our journey,
and grant us the time to fashion our lives anew,
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

I the Lord of Sea and Sky Here I am Lord
Dan Schutte
piano accompaniment

We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus’ blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!

Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
Perhaps you may prefer to sit and visit!
Please Contact Us with Special Requests!