Northfield Methodist Church

Dear Friends,

As many of you may know, we began our Lenten journey on Ash Wednesday this past week. We had a very special morning service with Bill Meaker to start the day and in the evening hosted a Celtic Healing Service. It was an evening in which our Lord Jesus was deeply present to heal and restore. We thank God for every testimony to his healing and restoring grace.

May we invite you to make this Lenten journey an intentional part of your life. We have posted (please see my last blog entry) the recitation (Jesus' Great Commandment), which for 40 days should be recited aloud in the morning and the evening. In the evening recitation of the Commandment we are asking people to reflect on the day and to confess any sins against the Great Commandment throughout the day. This very simple practice could have a profound effect on our journey with Jesus. Would you commit yourself to it?

This Lent we invite you to begin and end each day with a recitation of Jesus' Great Commandment:

"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

The second is this: "Love your neighbour as yourself". There is no greater Commandment greater than these."

Jesus here amends the Shema of Judaism (Deut 6:4-9) by adding Leviticus 19:18 thus revealing that real discipleship is all about learning to love God and others.

Will you commit yourself to repeating these words twice each day, for the duration of Lent. And whenever it comes to mind throughout the day, recite it again.

In your evening recitation of one Great Commandment, give some moments for reflection to confess any sins against the Great Commandment throughout the day.