Dear Friends,

I truly believe in the power of prayer. Whether I’m praying for someone else or for myself, I have confidence that God will answer in the perfect way. It may not always be the answer I want, but I trust, as we read in Matthew 7:9–11, that it will be just what I need.

Dear Friends,

On Palm Sunday, two kingdoms crash violently into one another. One is the kingdom of earthly power: that might-makes-right, survival-of-the-fittest dominance that pushes others down to get ahead. The other is God’s kingdom: the way of unwavering, self-giving love that willingly lays down power to lift others up.

Dear Friends,

This is a season for contemplation and reflection, a time to focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we have been reminded over the past few weeks, this is a time to put to death our old self—one defined by the world, culture, or traditions—and to be born anew, solely focused and centered on God. We must remember God’s absolute love for us.

Dear Friends,

Some people love Lenten music so much that they propose we keep singing it during Easter. There is an emotional pull in the Lenten texts—introspective, contemplative, longing, hopeful, repentant, forgiving, loving—that inspires composers, singers, and active listeners in ways that festive music sometimes glosses over. But we can have both!

Dear Friends,

Last Wednesday morning, my day started with a bang. Literally! As I was walking Java down South Ocean Boulevard at 6:00 a.m. — in the dark, thanks to daylight savings — I whacked my head on a palm tree sticking out into the sidewalk.

In just a few short days, we will celebrate a truly special moment in Bethesda’s history—the 100th anniversary of the laying of our church’s cornerstone. On Sunday, March 16, following the 11:00 a.m. service, we will gather on the lawn for a brief ceremony with music, prayer, and fellowship as we honor this milestone.

Dear Friends,

One of my closest pals is an expert editor. I don’t mean she pores over magazine spreads; instead, she edits her home regularly. Her place is always fresh and inviting. There’s almost no clutter! She’s ready at a moment’s notice to welcome guests.

For many years, I tried to follow the ritual of denying myself something for the season of Lent. Sometimes this spiritual discipline yielded new focus, but often it led to a lot of time yearning for the thing that I was missing. It was a challenge of New Year’s Resolution proportions to think of this year’s object of denial, and it was just as large a task to try to follow it for the duration of Lent.