Pastor
    Sue A. Riggle
fpjpastorsue@bellsouth.net

Secretary
    Brenda Knox 
fpjsecretary@bellsouth.net

Minister of Music
    Blakely Hardy
BlakelyHardy@aol.com

Pastor Emeritus
    Oliver B. Wood, Jr.

Church phone: (770) 478-8118
Church Fax: (770) 478-1991
       Directions

Office hours are 9 am to 3 pm
Monday through Thursday.

by Sue Riggle

I was considering the term "Christian" the other day and remembered that the term "Christian" means "little Christ". When I describe myself as Christian, I am not just saying, "I believe in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, God's risen Son," I am also saying that I strive to be like Jesus.

I think professing Christians sometimes forget to strive to be like Jesus because we get caught up in trying to fit or break the mold of what others believe a Christian should be like. We take our eyes off of Jesus only to gaze upon our own reflections, or others' perceptions and ideas of being Christian.

What does it mean to you to be a "little Christ"? That you have to be perfect? Sinless? As humans we will never achieve that, so let's focus on being imitators of Christ; but what does that mean?

Former President, Jimmy Carter, in his book, Sources of Strength, writes, "As Christians we are servants of God." Jesus was certainly that. Unlike us or the ancient Israelites, he did not act superior to others, nor did he try to be self-sufficient, or strive for material riches.

As a servant of God, Jesus' primary focus was on God, and his relationship with God and God's people. Jesus' purpose was to glorify God and to point to God in his every thought, word and action, while helping others to know God's love for them too.

What if we concentrate on being like Jesus and imitating his focus on God? What would happen if our sole focus was on loving God and our neighbor, rather than ourselves?

I invite you to join the Christ-like journey, for the remainder of this Lenten season, and especially during Holy Week. I'm looking forward to a deeper understanding of the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ and how that impacts my life and my relationship with God, and you. And as always, may there be . . .

Grace and Peace for the Journey, Sue

Holy/Passion Week Worship Schedule Palm Sunday Sunday, March 16 10:30 Worship

Maundy Thursday Thursday, March 20 6 p.m. Soup/Sandwich Supper, FLC 7 p.m. Worship in the FLC, culminating in the sanctuary

Good Friday: Friday, March 21 7 p.m. Tenebrae Service in the sanctuary

Easter Sunrise Sunday, March 23 6 a.m. Service of Light, in the sanctuary 10:30 a.m. Celebration of Resurrection Maundy Thursday

Whether high church or low church, dressed in flip flops or blazers, all of us want to remember and engage Christ with fresh perspectives. Traditionally, on Maundy Thursday the Church observes the mandatum novum - new commandment - from which Maundy Thursday derives its name. We recognize a "new commandment Thursday."

Part of the difficulty of Maundy Thursday is keeping it from being as dusty as the 24 feet that were washed that night, as Jesus and the disciples gathered in the upper room. There are a number of different ways to incorporate our traditional liturgies into creative expressions that can remind us anew of Jesus' demonstration of loving servanthood and sacrifice.

Please join us at the table for a light fellowship fare of soup and sandwiches before moving into a time or worship and remembrance. In order that you may have a richer experience in worship, you are encouraged to read the classic Maundy Thursday text found in John 13 before you come. In reading before hand, your hearing and experiencing of the Gospel may take on added dimensions. Good Friday Being 21st-century disciples or "little Christs", and following Jesus, isn't about beards and robes, or pious acts of faith. It is about walking the talk in the most difficult times of your life, and attempting to fully realize and live into what took place on that crucifixion day 2000 years ago.

Good Friday is the day we mark the death of a sinless man by remembering together that God sent Jesus into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. We come along side our Lord Jesus to remember the suffering he endured on the cross, and the enormity of the sacrifice he made on our behalf.

We cannot fully experience what Jesus experienced, but at some point in our lives we may experience feelings of being forsaken or abandoned by God. Good Friday is the day we contemplate what the world would be like if there had not been an Easter resurrection. While it may not be a pleasant day it is an important day, one that needs to be marked by our worship together as the people of God.

Come as you are and join us Friday evening in the sanctuary at 7 p.m. for a very special worship experience.

Easter Sunrise Service of Light The service will begin in the darkness of night, at 6 a. m. in the sanctuary. In kindling new fire and lighting the paschal candle, we will be reminded that Christ came as a light shining in the darkness. Through the use of fire, candles, Scripture, movement and music, the worshiping community becomes the pilgrim people of God , remembering what God has done for humanity while following the "pillar of fire" given to us in Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Join us for this comtemplative celebration of the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

Preaching Texts: March 2 John 9:1-14

March 9 John 11:1-45

March 16 Palm Sunday Passion Week-Lessons in Scripture and Song

March 23 Easter Sunday

John 20:1-18

March 30

John 20:19-31