March 4, 2020
“Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”
“My house shall be a house of prayer.” Our passage for Sunday is a rare moment when Jesus is not presented as calm and kind and gentle. His buttons get pushed and he acts rather aggressively, reacting against the practices that have come to be routine, normal, accepted, institutionalized. The selling of animals for sacrifice probably started as a great fund-raising idea by the Temple booster club. In Jesus’ day the temple seems to have been loud, crowded, and perhaps viewed as a boost to the local economy around the big festivals. Jesus’ reaction to it all is to reclaim the essence of the temple as a place of prayer, connection, and atonement, an essence that has been clouded and compromised. The place where one ought to connect with God is clouded with human agendas and frenetic activity. It raises the question for us if our faith life has been encroached upon by the frenzy of everyday life and drama, and how we get back to a place of prayer. Join us Sunday as we continue to consider these things!
Ruminations – Tonight!
Join me on Zoom as we read and sit with the scriptures for upcoming Sundays. We will read together along with some art and poetry, listening together for what themes, questions, and insights emerge. Last month we had a fun and lively dialogue with about eight of us. I hope for another good group tonight. Please join! Here is the packet of potential readings for tonight.
Join Us For In-Person Worship This Sunday!
Based upon survey feedback, Providence will be returning to in-person worship in the sanctuary starting on March 7th at 9:30am with precautions in place. Our protocols have been updated and can be found HERE. The service will also continue to be shared live over Zoom and posted to the website by Monday morning as well for those uncomfortable with or unable to join in-person.
Deacon’s Sunday
The first Sunday of every month is Deacon’s Sunday. Sunday March 7, is Deacon’s Sunday, in addition to your regular giving, you are invited to give to the work of Deacons in our church. You can either turn this gift in during in-person worship or mail it to the church office. Throughout 2020 and the beginning of 2021 the Deacons have been coming up with ways to reach out to Providence Members, regular Visitors and the Community as a whole. We have been delivering care packages for people, providing financial support if needed and coming up with ways to get people interacting during this difficult time. As providing support is important to all of the Deacons we realize we are not able to provide the support and do what we do without your generous donations. Thank you!
Coffee and Conversation
Pastor Dave will be hosting coffee and a conversation on Sunday’s sermon via Zoom on Tuesday morning 3/9 at 9am.
The sermon, for me, is best viewed as a conversation. So, I invite you to join me on Zoom on Tuesday mornings to share thoughts or questions that percolate for you from the sermon. We can meander conversationally to some degree, though I would like to stay with the sermon as a starting point. Questions and quandaries are welcome! An email will go out on Monday that will contain a Zoom link for this gathering. Thanks in advance for considering!
Food Drive for the Parker Task Force
Our next food drive for the Task Force will be Sunday, March 7th. If you are participating in the service via ZOOM, donations can be brought in before or after the service. A list of their current needs can be found HERE. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Heald. Thank you for your continued support of this important ministry.
One Great Hour of Sharing
Around the world, millions of people lack access to sustainable food sources, clean water, sanitation, education and opportunity. The three programs supported by One Great Hour of Sharing – Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, The Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People- all work in different ways to serve individual and communities in need. Providence Presbyterian Church is participating in One Great Hour of Sharing again this season of Lent. Please pick up a donation envelope, informational brochure, and family devotion/map of current needs on the information table outside the Pastor Dave’s office. If you would like to have this information mailed to you, please contact Chris Hudson. You can also go online at presbyterianmission.org/oghs for more details.
Easter Lilies
Want to order Lilies to honor or remember a loved one and brighten up our sanctuary for Easter Services? Lilies are $10.00/each and order envelopes are available on the table in the narthex. You can also mail your request to the church office using THIS FORM. Please enclose the form and a check made payable to Providence Presbyterian Church. Please write “Easter Lilies” on the memo line. Orders due by March 25th. Any questions? Please call or email the office at 720-851-6881, church@providencepcusa.org.
Pastor’s Study Leave
Pastor Dave will be taking a week of study leave the week of March 15th to work on dissertation editing. He anticipates a dissertation defense on May 14th and invites your prayers. Pastor Tom Roth will preach on March 21st.
Prayers
This week at Providence please keep the following people in your prayers:
Evan Totten, Sandra Higgins, Tara Strohm, Jim and Judy Nash, Laurie Schmidt, Paul White, Betty Holum, Ken Stabler, Phyllis Christensen, Lea Marot, John Price, Pat Schwartz, Mary McNeil, Renee Mastriona, Connor McGoff, Robert McCown, Chrissy, Lloyd Strohm, Brandon Lybarger, Bill Bacuum, The Mills Family, Darla and Rocky Duncan, Stevie Duncan and Katherine Buzby. We would also ask you to keep those dealing with COVID-19 in your prayers. Thank you for your prayers.
Phone: 720-851-6881
MidWeek Update Deadline:
NOON on Tuesday
ppcmwu@providencepcusa.org
Hearing Loop is available in our Sanctuary
MidWeek Scripture Reflection
Exodus 20:1-17
Then God spoke all these words: 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. 8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. 12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 13 You shall not murder. 14 You shall not commit adultery. 15 You shall not steal. 16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
John 2:13–22
13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
