EASTER has burst into bloom again.  Everywhere new life is urging itself past old bark, through mushy ground, springing into rigid minds, and herding hard hearts to happiness.  Easter has burst into our wilderness!  And maybe that makes the prospect of living every day as an Easter even more exciting and challenging.  Resurrection can still be ours, enabling us to live as Easter people! 

Join us for EASTER WORSHIP at First Christian Church of Orange.  10:00 AM! 
HAPPY EASTER!

HOLY SATURDAY
Matthew 27:57-66

Jesus died.  That is obscured in a lot of our churches, the fact that Jesus died, and it is not really faced.  Of course the angels tell us not to be afraid, but that’s easy for them to say, they are angels.  

We as humans we basically have two fears…  One is that if we don’t slow down we could all have heart attacks.  The other is that if we don’t hurry up we won’t accomplish all the things we want to before we have the heart attack. 

But today is a day of waiting.  Waiting because we don’t know what the future holds.  Waiting because so many of our dreams have been crushed.  Waiting because it feels as if the Wilderness is closing in around us. 

Pray with me: Lord, help me to not be afraid in the midst of waiting.  Help me. Help me. Help me.  Amen                                          – Stan Smith

GOOD FRIDAY
John 1:1-17, 31b-35
Matthew 27:32-37

John 1:5 promises us that when our lives are experiencing times of darkness, the light that God has given to the world will never be extinguished.          –  Don Latimore

MAUNDY THURSDAY at FCC Orange
6:30 p.m. Soup Supper     7:00 p.m. Worship

John 1:1-17, 31b-35
John 13:3-5

John 1:18 reminds us that we need not be overwhelmed by the majesty of God.  God’s Son gives us a perfect example of love and grace.             –  Don Latimore

Holy Week Wednesday
John 13.1-17, 31-35

Tomorrow night is ““Maundy Thursday.”” It’’s a night of ‘‘lasts’’ –– last suppers, last teachings, last betrayals. Interestingly, in Matthew, Mark and Luke, the focus of the Last Supper is Jesus’’ instituting Holy Communion. In John’’s gospel, the most sacred event of the Last Supper is the foot washing. In fact, nothing at all is even mentioned about Jesus instituting Holy Communion. Instead, John records the foot washing as the final symbolic act that Jesus does with his followers.

As you prepare for these “last” days, how would you feel about Jesus washing your feet? How would you feel about anyone washing your feet? In this final reversal of roles, Jesus shows us how we are to welcome each other in sacred times – through humbly serving others.

Holy Week Tuesday

The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, Grant that we may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen

Holy Week Monday
Matthew 21:1-11

This final Sunday of Lent was marked by a celebratory parade, which was also a protest march.  Only Jesus knew that the same event was also a funeral procession.  The Twelve should have known; on three occasions Jesus had told them of his approaching death in Jerusalem.  Their response after each prediction makes it evident, however, that they did not comprehend his words.
It is important for us to REMEMBER that we know the end of the story, and tend to view these days  through an empty tomb.  As difficult as it is for us to place ourselves back in that unknowing time, it is what this week requires… for us to journey as if we have no idea of the resurrection.  All we know is that things are beginning to heat up, and there is trouble ahead.

Matthew 21:1-11

As we come to Holy Week we put our landing gear down for final approach.  It all began on Ash Wednesday when we placed ash on our foreheads and wandered into the wilderness.  The journey has been long… 40 days and 40 nights.  But now we enter Jerusalem, the city of possibility and hope.  We begin with palm branches and loud hosannas!  We begin by recognizing the “passion” that is to come.  We begin with confidence that God will bring new life out of wilderness soil.

Matthew 21:1-11
The Triumphal Entry

Jesus could have asked anything of his Disciples, and what did he ask? Go find a donkey with her colt and bring them to me.  There is an endearing humility about this request from Jesus.  How many leaders today, much less King of Kings or Lord of Lords, would dare be seen in public riding a donkey?  After all, donkeys are sassy, stubborn and quite smelly.  Yet still, it was on those donkeys that Jesus boldly road into Jerusalem.  And the large crowds ahead of him and behind him shouted Hosanna in the highest!

So, let me ask you, “would you ever be caught shouting such praises if Jesus were to boldly ride a donkey before you?”   Remember, Jesus can ask anything of his Disciples.  See you in church!          — Dan Oliver

Matthew 21:1-11

Jesus was not entering a foreign city, nor entering the city of ‘the Jews’.  He was a Jew.  He was entering the city which symbolized in his faith and his scriptures God’s promise to Israel.   Think of how painful this must have been.  And think of the collision that was about to take place…           — Stan Smith

Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29    

It’s Palm Sunday friends and the procession has begun. The gates are opened and you, like David, are invited to enter and give thanks to God. Traditionally, the gates were closed for all but the most powerful and holy. Then, Jesus entered and opened the gates wide for all who chose to believe in a new way of faith-full living. It is still Jesus who opens the gates wide, day after day, year after year, moment after moment. For Jesus knows us well. He knows that our life journey takes us in and out of wilderness, yet the gates remain open. This Sunday, come celebrate the open gates of FCCO; and, if you know someone roaming the wilderness, bring them with you.              — Dan Oliver

Releasing persons and communities from the clutches of death also demands something of us, as did the raising of Lazarus of his community. Though Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb, he urged those who were alive and well to “unbind him, and let him go.” Any person stepping once again into the light requires caring communities that are willing to nurture and strengthen them until they are able to walk alone; to remove the graveclothes of self-doubt, social isolation, marginalization, and oppression; to tear away the wrappings of fear, anxiety, loss, and grief.                         – Feasting on the Word

John 11:44

“The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’”

These are the marching orders of the church. Where people are willing to make a first step toward new life, our task is to be there to assist. To unbind. To set free. Trust me, it never works unless a person first makes that first step. But once that is done, we need to move with haste to be the church at its best.                       – Stan Smith

Psalm 130

This beautiful Psalm shares with us the beautiful truth that in our struggles of every day life, God hears us, is always with us, and is constant in His love for us.          — Donna Gladson

John 11:1-45

Ephesians 5:8-14

Psalm 23

Even in the deepest darkest paths that you might be forced to stray, God is at the end of that path to love you and give you direction. God is a great friend and listener. Be always ready to create a special place in your heart to commune with the spirit of God daily.       — Linda Tuman

Ephesians 5:8-14

John 4: 5-42

How many wars have been started based on differences in religious beliefs?  There are several large and small going on right now.  It was the same when Jesus met the Samarian woman at the well.  He told her that by the power of God’s Spirit the differences in the Samaritans worship on the mountain and Jews worship in Jerusalem would not matter.  Let the Spirit of God show us the way past our differences.          — Della Gabelsberg

John 4:5-42
The wilderness in which the Israelites wandered was a dry desert.  They looked for water.  Generations later, Jesus would say, “Whoever drinks this water will get thirsty again; but, whoever drinks the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again.”  (John 4:13)  When lost and thirsty, take care to find the water which gives more than a temporary respite.         — Wayne Arnold

Exodus 17:1-7

When the Israelites wandered the desert of Sin they thirsted for water.  At the Lord’s direction Moses struck a rock and cool, fresh water poured forth.  Today the desert may be in the midst of a modern city and we thirst for more – peace, love, acceptance.  The answer is still the same – the answer is the Lord.                          — Della Gabelsberg

Exodus 17:1-7

As the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, they worried that they would die of thirst.  Then, God instructed Moses to strike a stone, and water poured out for the people to drink.  When we find ourselves in the wilderness, we too thirst — for answers, for direction, for comfort.  I suggest that you carry a stone and remember that, even in the wilderness, God can sate your thirst — in the most unexpected ways.                  — Wayne Arnold

John 4:15-20

“What we are all most thirsty for is to belong.  Pray that you might offer a safe place for all others, for those whom even you judge harshly.  May they find in your presence the warm, gentle embrace of God.”

John 4:5-42

All of our lives have been broken, bruised, shamed, in despair.  We all have struggled, had our failures, been misunderstood, judged, labeled, yearned for acceptance.  So where do we find safety?  Where do we find grace?  Where do we find an acceptance in spite of our shortcomings?  I would like to think that it is in this congregation…  What has been your experience?           – Stan Smith

March 24

How I wish I could believe this scripture. I wonder what it would be like to exchange my fears and anxieties and the need to toil and control my world, with the expectation that God will provide and that I would be satisfied.       — Jim Gabelsberg

March 23 

I am relieved that it is not my responsibility to create a world in seven days. Trying to create order from the rocks, sand, and tumble weeds seems a lifelong task. May this Easter season bring enough moisture to create at least a few blooms.                                          — Jim Gabelsberg

John 3:1-17

Two huge points!!  1) Our second birth is from God; and, 2) If we believe in Him, we have eternal life with Him.  Either way, the message is the same.  When we realize God is our Father, we have life eternal with Him.                

                                                               — Suzanne Vaugine

Psalm 121

The Lord will protect you.  But, first, you must remember to look to the Lord, to ask Him for protection and guidance.  He will never desert you.   

                                                                            — Suzanne Vaugine

John 3:1-17

Allow yourself to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Take a few deep, peaceful breaths, clear your mind, and allow the Spirit a place within you.
                                                                            — Estelle Worden

Psalm 121

As you struggle through your life’s journey and find yourself in a personal wilderness, remember to pray. Your prayer will remind you that God is walking beside you through this wilderness, just as God was with Jesus.

— Estelle Worden

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength.”  What more needs to be said?  Talk about all the great things God has done for you everywhere you go and in each day you live.                                                           — Brian Shrout

Matthew 4:1-11

¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

   ⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

   ⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

   “‘He will command his angels concerning you,
   and they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

   ⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

   ⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

   ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

   ¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

The saving grace of God does not come through social action (feeding the hungry) or grand shows (throw yourself off the temple) or political activism (I’ll give you the Kingdom), but through the worship of God.  The saving grace of God then moves us to engage in social and political action and concrete demonstrations of God’s love.   — Brian Shrout

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

If a commitment is important enough, we will be willing to go to any length to keep the goal before us. To never forget is the way, the path to achieve the final fulfillment. — Clarice Friedline

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Observing Commandments as guidelines, alone, is a cop-out — anyone can measure their behavior against these Commandments and can make a lifetime of excuses. A sojourn requires that we make every opportunity a worshipful experience. — Jason Burris

Matthew 4:1-11

Wilderness is not always a barren place.  There may be strange things growing everywhere.  Temptations in easy and seductive images will be confronted, and decisions need to be made and expressed.                           — Clarice Friedline

Matthew 4:1-11

When presented with two options, the people who consistently choose the path of least resistance will be consumed with disappointment and regret — they will constantly wonder why they struggle to find peace.    — Jason Burris

Welcome to the first thought of the day as we begin our Lenten journey.  The Elders of our congregation have written many of these, and others will come from various sources.  We hope that you will use them as stimulus for your our thoughts.  Comments are welcome. Please be aware that this is a public forum.

Today is Ash Wednesday.  Wilderness is where the journey begins.  Read Matthew 4:1-11.  Richard Rohr says: “Remember finally, that the ashes on your forehead are created from the burnt palms of last Palm Sunday. New beginnings invariably come from old false things that are allowed to die.”

Beginning with Ash Wednesday on March 9 the First Christian Church of Orange invites you on a Lenten journey called Wilderness 101.  Jesus was the first, and we follow in his footsteps.

THE SEASON OF LENT 2011   “WILDERNESS 101″

Welcome to the FCC Orange BLOG site for Lent.

Each morning those who have covenanted to be a part of the Lenten Journey are sent a Thought for the Day. You are able to offer reflections here which will be posted for all to view. Please be mindful that this is a fairly public forum designed to enhance your Lenten experience.

WILDERNESS 101 is a covenant to do at least these five things:

1. Attend worship each Sunday, and special Holy Week services;

2. Read daily meditations that are posted on the website;

3. Pray daily for others;

4. Do one Christian act of kindness for another person each day;

5. Give up something of significance during Lent.

The five disciplines are designed to deepen your faith and experience of Christian community.  Of course it won’t be easy, but Jesus did not invite us to an easy faith.

We hope you will join us on this journey of faith!

You can sign up on Sunday morning, or by filling out the form below.  Welcome!