Pastor's Message

March 2025

Dear People of God,

I love mountains.  By now you know I love to hike in our nearby mountains and cross country ski in the mountains.  I still climb a mountain once in a while, although less of that as I age.  The view from a mountaintop is always exhilarating for me.  Last summer my son Kyle and I climbed Mt. St. Helens, which was a lot of fun on a beautiful July day.  Coming down was especially fun since we sat in garbage bags in the steep snow and slid down about half way.  We also climbed Mt. Baker, which is taller and therefore more tiring.  Mt. Baker has glaciers, which means we roped up, wore crampons on our boots and carried ice axes, especially when crossing the 100 foot deep crevasses in the glacial ice.  It was tiring, but a lot of fun and the view from the top on a clear summer day was awesome!  This summer, Kyle and I might climb Mt. Hood, which I did 40 years ago back in my college days.

We start the month of March with Transfiguration Sunday.  Jesus climbs up a high mountain with 3 of his disciples and the glory of God shines through his earthly body and transfigures him.  For Jesus and his disciples it is a glimpse of the resurrection glory which awaits him.  (Luke 9:28-36)  But as you know, there can be no resurrection of Jesus without first the cross and death of Jesus.  For Jesus, there is the Mount of Transfiguration, but soon also there is Mt. Calvary and the cross.

In the church year, this year, we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday on March 2, but then turn quickly to Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent on March 5.  We are in the more penitential season of Lent for nearly all of March.  The 40 days of Lent do not include Sundays, which are always “mini-Easters”.  The 40 days are a good time to follow our Savior Jesus more closely to his cross, grave, and finally, resurrection glory.  The disciplines of Lent, such as prayer, fasting, worship, giving to charity, Bible study and works of love toward our neighbors in need are ways to be more intentional in our Christian walk with Jesus.  And having walked with our Savior through Lent, we will be all the more able to joyously celebrate his glorious victory over death for us on Resurrection Day!

~ Peace in Jesus, Pastor Dennis