A note from Pastor Bob

Bethany Family,

I want to challenge you this Lenten season. Lent begins March 5th with Ash Wednesday and runs all the way up to Easter. Would you consider praying and fasting for Bethany Church and the Mercer community? Pray that the Holy Spirit would move and begin a revival in our hearts that would spill out into the Mercer community. Remember Bethany Church is not a building; it is the people who come and worship together (Matthew 7:7-11). Pray that we would be so alive in Christ that we cannot help but tell people about God and what He is doing in our lives and how he is moving in our community (Matthew 28). Pray for innovative ideas to reach the community and truly make a difference in the lives of the people we interact with each and every day (Mark 11:24). Pray that we would faithfully spend time falling in love with God by reading the Scriptures and studying how God has blessed us.

Specifically, I want to challenge you to spend time every day praying for our church community and the broader Mercer community. This could be a dedicated time you set aside, like the first thing in the morning or over lunch. You can set an alarm on your phone or post a sticker on your bathroom mirror to trigger a reminder to pray (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). The specific amount of time is arbitrary, but if you do not regularly pray, I would aim for 15 minutes a day.

How might God move in our own hearts and community through the mighty prayers of His saints? I long to see the answer. Do you?
The Lenten season is often a time of fasting. We can do a traditional fast once a week or consider a social media fast or a broader media fast which includes TV and movies. We fast to draw ourselves into closer relationship with God, and He will often meet us in that place.

It is not a "work" to garnish the favor of God or even force Him into doing something for us. We cannot force God into anything and nothing we do can "impress God" (Matthew 6:16-18). Instead, fasting puts us at the feet of Jesus and simply says, "1 am here Lord, teach me, mold me into Your image. (Psalm 69:10)" In this way, God can use fasting to change us. Will you consider a fast of some sort this Lenten season? The fast can and should be another reminder to engage with God through prayer. Fasting is best accomplished when the time spent saying no to food is redirected to prayer and study before God.

Finally, I want to encourage you to come join us for our new Ash Wednesday Service.
This will be an opportunity to begin Lent with a focus upon God. It can perhaps be a time to make decisions on when and how you will both fast and pray if you choose to do so. Either way, come worship, pray, and reflect with us. Let's seek God together this Lenten season and see how He is actively calling us into mission to change the lives of everyone around us.

Pastor Bob