Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Dear Friends in Christ,

This week has been a blessing! 

On Monday evening, I spent time with over 150 Scouts, parents, and leaders from the Scout troop that meets at Stonebridge UMC. I was so impressed with the leadership and the young people that led the Court of Honor. It was an honor as pastor of Stonebridge UMC to greet the group and invite them to Scout Sunday on March 3rd.

On Wednesday evening, we had over 100 people gather for dinner. Then we broke out into groups for choir, study, discussion, children’s activities, and youth activities. We were blessed by the Spirit in our fellowship and our smaller groups as we spent time growing and serving for Christ. This is just another great example of how God is blessing Stonebridge with the opportunity to share the Gospel with the communities around us. 

Next Wednesday, we will gather again for dinner, study, and activities. We will be serving hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner. Make your dinner reservation before Sunday evening. All the groups are open for those who would like to join us. I will continue my study on the Gospel of Mark. Pastor Jana is doing a study on salvation from the book Savior: What the Bible Says About the Cross. We will always make room, but if you can, email Pastor John or Pastor Jana to let us know you will be joining our groups. 

This Sunday in worship, we will continue our Lenten journey to Easter with the sermon series “Seeing the Real Jesus”. We will be looking at Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane from Mark 14:32-42. 

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Spirit of God has gone into a full court press. Time is counting down. We know that Jesus will be betrayed, arrested, denied, illegally tried, and as his closest followers scatter, Jesus is crucified. As Jesus prays at Gethsemane, we see his agony as he offers himself to the will of God. In his prayer, we experience the most intimate side of Jesus in his relationship with the Father. As we follow Jesus on this night, may his prayer teach us a deeper way to seek the Father in prayer. 

These are exciting days at Stonebridge UMC. Invite someone to worship. Let them know that God is just beginning to do a great work through Stonebridge UMC. 

See you Sunday.

Pastor John Allen