Dear People of  Low’s,

will begin our observance of this important season of the church year.
Traditionally the “disciplines” (spiritual practices) most associated with Lent
are repentance, prayer, fasting, and acts of love.
Fasting has become the discipline most associated with Lent by the
secular world, as well as by many Christians. Just think about how many
fast food restaurants offer fish sandwiches this time of year, due to the
practice of some Christians of abstaining from meat during Lent (or at least on Fridays during the
season
—fish not being considered meat for purposes of fasting). Some folks give up other things
as a form of fasting, including sweets or television (hard to do since Lent and March Madness in
college basketball always coincide).
The focus on fasting

—giving up--is unfortunate. While fasting can be good and
beneficial in focusing our attention on God, the other three disciplines are more important to
growing in faith in Christ and in love for our neighbor.
This Lent at Low’s we will be focusing on the discipline of prayer

—the foundation for
the other disciplines. In our Lenten studies on Sunday evenings we will look at “Praying Jesus’
Way” (more about that elsewhere in the newsletter). Most of us struggle to pray, whether it is
difficulty in setting aside time for prayer, or knowing what to say or what or whom to pray for.
We may also struggle with what we perceive to be unanswered prayers, or the feeling that God
is silent and unresponsive. These are concerns common to most Christians who seek to pray.
We will discuss those in our time together on Sunday evenings.
Along with the Lenten study will be encouragement to engage in prayer for our
congregation and our communities. Most of us want to see Low’s thrive. If that is to happen,
we must be in prayer for God’s will for our congregation so it can be the church God wants it to
be, doing God’s will and making a difference for Christ locally and in the wider world.
Remember the words of St. Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:17

—“Pray without ceasing.” This doesn’t
mean to be on our knees 24 hours a day, but rather to live in an attitude of prayer, and to
never fail to pray when the opportunity presents itself. We can also see the words of St. Paul as
a reminder that we can do nothing without prayer. This Lent let us renew our commitment to
prayer. God loves you and I do too,
Pastor John Mark

During Sunday evenings in Lent we will have a light meal and study from 5:00
--6:30 pm The studies will center around what we can learn from the Lord's

Prayer--"Praying Jesus' Way". The importance of prayer is often over-
looked. Jesus' "model prayer" can help us grow in our prayer life and expand

our prayer horizons. This study will provide an opportunity for us to learn more
about praying for ourselves, our families, our communities, Christians near and
far, and our own congregation. Our time together will begin Sunday, March
10th and conclude on Sunday, April 7th. All are invited to join us for this time
of fellowship, food, and faith. (See the insert for information on meals.)