Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:25-27 NIV

The words of Luke make my guts get all twisty.  My mind begins a reel of images that bring joy and fear. My heart begins to race.

Following Jesus is the greatest joy of life. My days following his lead provide more joy in the worst of times than anything I do on my own in the best of times. Still, I get caught here in Luke 14 wondering what else does it take?

This season of Lent that began with Ash Wednesday February 17 and extends through Easter April 4 provides us an opportunity to consider what else Jesus needs me to do as a follow him. Wesley is exploring the joy of salvation through The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. We are looking at the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and the call of our Heavenly Father to come home and experience my true joy.  This Lenten journey will conclude with the intensity of Holy Week – Palm Sunday, March 28, through Easter.

Holy Week’s weeks intense journey will take us into the seven last words of Christ. Peter Storey, former Bishop of the Methodist Church in South Africa, writes in Listening to Golgotha, that we all need to have a conversation with the Cross. That “we each need to bring to Calvary the issues of sin and righteousness, both personal and systemic, that we wrestle with in our time and place. We need to do this with utmost seriousness if the Easter that follows Good Friday is to mean anything at all.”  We need to wrestle with our identity in the Cross that the world might not know us but the Cross that we have become.

Discipleship is becoming friends with Jesus in such a way that we are one with Him. How close is your relationship? How is Heaven’s Joy brining you to a life of joy? How is taking on the Cross displacing sin in your life? Believing in Jesus can be easy; following him is costly. Carrying the Cross leads us to unexpected places. It takes us into new relationships with those who were once strangers. It takes us into dark places to shine new light. It takes us away from comfort into places where only Jesus would lay his head.  Followers of Jesus give more generously to the point they give it all. Here are five things you too can do as a way to give more to Jesus:

• Take someone new to lunch (or take ‘em dinner, or grab a coffee). Turn a stranger into a new friend in Christ.
• Mentor a kid! The host of experiential wisdom at Wesley is priceless. Adopt one of our young people and share life with them once a month.
• Sacrifice a group. We huddle up toooooo much. Break the comfort zone! Let go of one of your group meetings and take an adventure. Help is needed at the MERCI Center to pack goods for Haiti. Families need childcare that they can grow in Christ beyond Sunday morning. Homeless in Raleigh need someone to transport them to church.
• Take a computer class on social networking. Stay connected with people around the world and share the Gospel in the process.
• Let scripture be your TripTik!!! Read and listen to God’s Holy Word as a way to take into the World. Make a covenant to let the Book of Acts be your road map for mission.

Walk with me this Lent as we become more meek that we seek Christ’s strength to carry His Cross becoming Easter People who have died to self and been raised with Christ.

Peace,

Pastor Dennis

Luke 6:38 The New Living Translation

You are Amazing! Your overwhelming generosity stocked the shelves of the Urban Ministries food pantry with 479 pounds of food in September. On the shoulders of that project you raised $2,000 in short time for Stop Hunger Now. Your financial offerings coupled with some sweat equity allowed us to pack 8,034 meals helping to alleviate hunger in our lifetime. Thank you for trusting God, and following the lead of His Holy Spirit!

These events, your generosity, and the moving of the Holy Spirit have provided a vision for the coming year. Six projects in 12 months where we make Jesus famous through our acts of good will. These activities help us show how Jesus is alive in us and for the world. We also hope you will invite your friends, neighbors, and co-workers to join us in the fun, fellowship, and good of working for Jesus. Your Administrative Council will be discerning how God wants us to work. Join us in prayer as we listen to the voice of God.

Beginning November 18, the Administrative Council welcomes you to its first in a series of Learn and Lead sessions. We’ll be using a set of video talks from the Leadership Summit as we discern God’s will for Wesley moving forward. Our November 18 session will be “Against All Odds” with Harvey Carey, founder and senior pastor of the Citadel of Faith Covenant Church, a congregation of 650 in Detroit, MI. Located in one of the poorest zip codes in America, Carey’s church was identified as one of the top churches in growing people spiritually. One of the country’s most gifted and inspiring communicators, and a former youth pastor at a large inner- city church in Chicago, Carey has trained and led ministry teams in preaching the gospel in housing projects, shopping malls and public schools in urban areas across the country. Bring Your Own Dinner at 5:30. Video and discussion will follow with choir beginning at 7:30.

Lastly, I encourage you to read the preview information about our December worship series – The Advent Conspiracy. What if the gift of Christmas really could change the world? Let’s consider the possibility and give our Gift of Presence as we celebrate Christmas 2008.

In Christ’s Humble Service,

Pastor Dennis

The habit of giving only enhances the desire to give.

Walt Whitman