Valuing Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, a special day celebrated in many Christian churches. Ash   Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the beginning of the 40 weekdays before Easter. Lent is observed in many Christian churches as a period of prayer, fasting, confession, repentance, and self-denial. It echoes the 40 days in the wilderness Jesus spent fasting and overcoming temptation. It also assists Christians in focusing on Jesus resolute journey leading to his crucifixion and resurrection. We learn to identify with his unwavering obedience. We recognize the price he paid for us. Our faith journey, described in Changing Churches, began in a United Methodist Church - a church that observes Ash Wednesday. Throughout our years there, Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of a solemn and holy time of reflection. While searching for a church in 2008 we attended an Ash Wednesday service at another Methodist Church. I noted in my journal:             We sang six verses of "Just As I Am" and "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood." The hymns, responsive readings, confession, and pastor's message, touched and filled us. We received ashes in the shape of the cross on our foreheads and took Communion - opening and recommitting ourselves to Him. What a sacred event! Prayer Journaling In 2004 the teacher of my ladies Bible class mentioned journaling Psalm 51 (about David's sin), one phrase at a time, for the forty days of Lent. This proved to be a sobering but valuable exercise. In order to build up the church, Christians must change and grow. We must face our own sin and repent. The next forty days are a good time to focus on this in prayer. Understanding the Church Calendar For those not in a liturgical church, Mark Galli's explanation from his book Beyond Smells and Bells, may help you appreciate the emphasis on the church calendar. He writes:             The church calendar aims at nothing less than to change the way we experience time and perceive reality. . . . Advent signals the new year. For the church, the annual rhythm is not winter, spring, summer and fall, but Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost. . . . The church calendar is not about the cycle of life - school or sports or harvest time - but about the movement of history toward a glorious goal. We celebrate the past events of history not merely to remember them, but note how they infuse the present with meaning and power, and point us to our         future hope. Let this be a Holy season for all Christians to ponder and pray and deepen our faith.   Blessings, Dottie

Operation World

Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation is a book that can change the world. It’s an amazing book. Imagine what a difference it would make if all Christians prayed specifically for missionaries around the world and for the needs in each country. This is a daunting task but it is made easier by this marvelous book. Operation World lists every country in the world, giving information on Geography, Peoples, Economy, Politics, and Religion for each country. It also lists Answers to Prayer and Challenges for Prayer. Maps and charts are also given. The book is packed with information.


Operation World is designed to be used as a prayer guide with a date listed at the bottom of each page so you can work your way through it in a year. Christians around the world can and will be informed, guided and inspired by this book. When we hear about a country in the news or when there is conflict in a region Operation World is a quick resource to learning about the country, understanding the issues and knowing how to pray. My church is using Operation World in weekly prayer meetings, focusing on one country each week. It can also be used by families during family meetings or prayer times, to teach children about our vast world and to educate them about world geography, the diversity of peoples and the vast need to spread the Gospel. Parents who are home schooling will also find this to be a valuable resource.

The Completely Revised -7th edition of Operation World was published in 2010 by Jason Mandryk so the information is as up to date as it possibly could be. Reading and studying Operation World is a great way to increase our knowledge of other countries and cultures and great way give us a heart for missions and to focus our prayers. And it is guaranteed to lessen our provincialism.

“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.” Mark 16:15 NLT

Blessings, Dottie

Seeker of Hearts

Seeker of Hearts by Steven P. Smith is a recounting of the life of Jesus in a modern day setting. And I do mean modern day. Think Jesus and the disciples wearing blue jeans, driving vans and using cell phones. The setting is an America-like land, currently occupied by foreign troops. Much of the dialog is straight from the NIV Bible following the gospel accounts accurately. This gives Christians a fresh way of thinking about Jesus and his mission.

Seeker of Hearts is written in every day language and the scenes flow smoothly from one location or view point to another. Smith very adeptly describes, for example, the healing of the man born blind and the hullabaloo following it. He is inventive in scenes such as the raising of Lazarus from the dead - in a modern cemetery. Smith fills in behind the scenes stories we’ve always wondered about, including dialog between Caiaphas, the chairman of City Council, and Judd (Judas).

The events from the Last Supper on are riveting. I couldn’t put Seeker of Hearts down. It reminded me of Riven by Jerry Jenkins! I won’t tell more or I’ll spoil all the surprises. This is a must read for Christians who want to gain fresh insights into the life of Christ. The book can be read aloud to children, with discussion to help them see Jesus as a real person and as God in the flesh. Teen-agers also will find this book inspiring, even life-changing.

“I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6

Blessings, Dottie