Dear Family and Friends of First UMC of Torrance
Time goes around, and a new season is coming. The world has spring, summer, fall, and winter (not so much in Torrance though). The church has Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, and each season has unique meanings for spiritual life.
We are on a full-scale journey of the Lenten season throughout the month of March. For Lent is a penitential season, we prepare to reconcile with God in remembrance of our Blessed Lord’s Passion, and also of which Jesus Christ is our Passover, and he himself sacrificed for us. However, penitence is not our ultimate goal, but rather the process of the season, and the ultimate goal and purpose of the season is to walk with Christ in sharing the death and resurrection of the Lord in our daily life.
For us, our special journey of walking with our Lord began several weeks before Ash Wednesday. We cannot just go on a long and hard trail journey without preparation. From the first day of the year, we began to build up our spiritual muscle with 14 Weeks of Reading the New Testament in order to go into the main Lenten journey strong, and we are on a full-scale journey now. As we continue to go on this special journey, I pray for all of our community family that we are able to experience the omnipresent God each and every day.
We are people of the resurrection. We are on a journey to Easter. Our lives may be broken and shattered, but we are granted restoration and resurrection. We can rebuild our estranged relationships by forgiving, initiating calls, forgiving those who have trespassed against you, sending a card of caring to the sick and the home-bound, or visiting a nursing home.
Let’s continue our journey together. Easter is coming!
Blessings,
Pastor Jacob