Messiah continues its observance of Lent with midweek Services of Prayer; identical services will be held on Wednesday, March 11th at 11:00 am and 7:00 pm. The 7:00 pm service is scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr, our website and our Facebook page. Our annual Fish Fry will be held before the evening service at 6:00 pm in our Fellowship Hall.

We continue our Lenten sermon series, which is based on the ancient hymn “O Love, How Deep” (Lutheran Service Book 544), with the theme “For Us He Seeks”:

For us He prayed; for us He taught;

For us His daily works He wrought,

By words and signs and actions thus

Still seeking not Himself but us.

Jesus talks all about seeking us in our texts this week. He does not wait passively until we get up the gumption to ask Him for help. Nor does He act out of selfish gain, like so many in responsible positions seem to do so often today. Praying, teaching, working. In all these things, Jesus seeks us out and looks for ways to help us. This work is often overlooked because it is so ordinary. Water, bread and wine, the folly of preaching. In all these ordinary works, Jesus continues His ministry among us. This ministry of forgiveness means that Jesus continues to strengthen and help us. (Psalm 80:1-7; Romans 10:8-17; Mark 1:35-39; Mark 14:53-15:5)