Adult Faith Formation
Still Waters: April 18, 2026
Still Waters Fellowship takes place around a good meal and the exploration of one or more of the traditional practices that can help us grow in our relationship to God. All are welcome! RSVPs are encouraged in the interest of meal planning.
Our next gathering will be on Saturday, April 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the home of Roger Parker. For more information or to RSVP to Roger, click on the link below.
Bible Study: Lent 2026
We meet every Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. in the church library.
Anyone is free to drop in for a taste of the joy that we share in our prayer, meditation, scripture, and Christian community.
Some new revelations concerning The Plan of God.
This is the topic for Wednesday Bible Study during Lent: From before time began God has had a plan -
that humankind will share God's life in God's Kingdom. There is such a wealth of wisdom that we can explore
and find great depth of meaning. Instead of focusing on a book of scripture for however long that book takes
we are bouncing around to find particular topics and look at scripture in a way that is new to us. There have
been many questions and challenges to explore.
Why is there sin in the world? Evil? What do Adam and Eve and their story have to do with us and
what do we learn from them? Did God create sin and evil? Is Redemption necessary? Does God punish us?
Our conversations have been brisk and loaded with thought. We have come to understand more about the
value of conversational meditation. It is all a critical tool for spiritual growth. The goal is not teaching nor
learning. It is feeding and living scripture. It is growing in faith and nurturing our lives in God.
Lenten Compline
Join us by Zoom on Tuesdays at 7:30, beginning March 3.
Compline is the service for evening and part of the Daily Office. The Office is an ancient practice of
the church and developed into our Book of Common Prayer after the Reformation. For centuries these
prayers were used in churches, monasteries, homes and by individual worshipers. There will be prayer sheets available through email for your use in compline or on
meditations during the rest of each week. The services will last about 30 minutes.
These will be times of quiet spaces and one voice will read each prayers with volunteers to pray one or
more sessions. I (Kathie) will start us off. If you would like to participate just let me know. Scripture, poetry,
anything interesting to us will be in sections broken up by the silence. One particular focus will be on the Last
Words of Christ.
For millennia Lent has been a time of renewal, penitence, self-examination, self-denial, leading to
forgiveness, redemption, and renewal in Christ. These actions work their best when in community. You will
always be welcome.
Psalm of the week for March 29 - Psalm 118: 1-2; 19-29, Confitemini Domino (The Lord is good and is recognized)
Here we read portions of a psalm which sings of the entry of a King into his city.
We may have been thinking over the past weeks of the horrors that await he who has been identified as the
Messiah of God. Riding on a donkey who was graciously allowed by its owner to be ridden by this man, this
created one. Verse 1 says we are to give thanks because God is a good God...a good God on a donkey. This is
not someone welcoming a conquerer from Rome who exhibits power but one who holds the power of the
Godhead and whose purpose is to show mercy.
Verse 2 says, "Let Israel now proclaim, "His mercy endures for ever." The "crowd" has been
recognized and shouts out the recognition. Palm branches cover the path to calm down the dust. I like to
imagine that flowers might have been in the mix. Jesus and his followers head straight to the temple, the
home of God and the site of the history of the people of Israel. The Holy Place is cleansed of what is not
godly within the walls. As the cleansing takes place there is a good guess that the actors of the Roman empire
enter Jerusalem to go to the seat of the empire's power and the two worlds are joined in what will produce a
new creation.
We have to jump past verses and find verses 19 through 29. Here you will have questions to think
about as we await with Jerusalem for the coming of its King.
19: what are the gates of righteousness and how may they be entered?
20: 19 connects with 22. What is the gate? Expand you thinking by looking at John 10: 1-10
21: Why do we give thanks???
22. Think about the "cornerstone" How does this apply in your life?
23. What has been the most marvelous act of god in your live?
24. Instead of one happy person, when might the community rejoice?
25. What success might we seek?
26. Again there is mention of a domicile, a place for living. Define "the house of the Lord."
27. What is another word or phrase for, "he has shined upon us."
28. How do we exalt? Is it just cheering for something?
29. List the three most important words in this verse.
And have a good and blessed Holy Week.