Celebrate with us!

This past Easter not only gave us the opportunity to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also was a time to celebrate the baptism (Christening) of Demarco Everett Patterson.

What a handsome baby and beautiful family!

Good Friday

This coming Friday will be our third "Good Friday" service observed at College Park Naz., since we have attended the church. As I have been preparing for this coming service it has been ever present on my mind that many of us are unaccustomed to observing some of the Christian Calendar services. Especially, those services that fall within the Lenten season.

Growing up in a protestant home I never remember observing any of the Lenten services (Ash Wednesday...Good Friday, etc.). However, after being introduced to the Christian Calendar while attending Bible college (Olivet Naz. Univ.) it seemed like a while new world had been opened to me. A world in which I was encouraged not only to express feelings of joy and celebration during the seasons of advent and Easter, but also to share in times reflection and even sadness during the Lenten season. The Lenten season seemed to me then and still today to help bring balance into my walk with God. It is within this season, especially the "passion week," that I am encouraged not only to identify with Jesus Christ as he rose from the grave in glory and power, but also to give voice to the suffering and sadness that Christ experienced on his journey towards the cross. The awareness that we are given a place within our faith to give expression to these types of events within our own lives has been a comfort to me in my journey of faith.

I wonder if any others have experiences along these lines that they would like to share? If so I encourage you to share some of your thoughts by clicking on the "comments" link at the bottom of this post.

Joint Homeless Outreach

This past Sunday afternoon we met at the Beltsville United Methodist Church to prepare food and clothing for area persons who are homeless. This was the first of what we hope will become regular outreach activities between our two churches (College Park Naz. & Beltsville United Methodist). We are also in conversation with several other churches in the area who are interested in joining us in similar events.

If you are interested in getting involved the next time we hit the streets let us know.