Jesus said to [Judas], “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. Matthew 26:50 ESV
It Happened At the Garden of Gethsemane
Take a moment, stop what you’re doing, and picture yourself being in a garden. Perhaps what you are picturing is in your backyard, or at a local park, or it’s a memory of a garden carefully tended by your grandmother. Take a deep breath and inhale the smell of the flowers and the moist dirt. Listen closely to the rustle of the wind through the trees, and flutter of birds overhead.
It’s a peaceful scene. You can feel the serenity and smell the life flourishing around you.
Jesus enjoyed being in a garden, too. As He faced the impending “perfect storm” that would lead to His torture and death, Jesus chose to spend His last hours in the Garden of Gethsemane. Perhaps the garden reminded Him of God’s overwhelming power and creativity, and the fervent prayer He prayed there undergirded His determination to endure the Cross for us.
Maybe you’ve spent some time in “the garden” facing what appeared to be a perfect storm of problems. Maybe you’re in that garden right now. This weekend at Trinity Downtown, we’ll get a reminder of how Jesus handled this stressful time, and how Jesus demonstrated God’s infinite power and determination to redeem lost humanity. And His power to redeem each of us from our own “perfect storms.”
This weekend, give God the opportunity to re-position your heart, redeem your circumstances and deepen your recognition that you are totally dependent upon Him. Join with the other sinners at Trinity Downtown as we are reminded of the great cost Jesus paid in showering us with His grace.
You can participate in-person at our contemporary worship service on Saturday at 5:00 pm or our traditional worship service on Sunday at 9:00 am. Reservations are required to attend either in-person worship service; you can see the details at www.trinitydt.org. You may also make a reservation by calling Stefanie at 713.224.0684 from 8:30-2:30 each weekday. If you are not comfortable attending an in-person service, you can watch the “live stream” of our Satellite Service at 5:00 pm on Saturday, or our traditional service on Sunday at 9:00 am by clicking here. And, of course, you may also participate by watching either of these services “on demand” by clicking here.
There are two ways this week that you can be the hands and feet of Jesus to our community:
- If you want to help those that are still suffering from the effects of February’s winter weather, you can donate online to the Texas District’s disaster recovery fund.
- Trinity’s Alpha team is preparing to re-start an “online” version of the Alpha evangelistic outreach on March 15th. You can catch a glimpse of how an online Alpha works by clicking here. This is the week to reach out to your friends and family you might want to invite to join you in attending. You can register online at Trinity’s website by clicking here. Since it’s online, don’t limit your invitations to just local friends and family; feel free to invite folks from around North America who you think might benefit from an honest look at the claims of Christ.
Don’t forget to tune into our daily Lenten devotionals. Spending just five minutes a day will help you prepare your heart for a meaningful Lenten journey and for the joy of the Resurrection.
Set aside time this weekend to learn how to follow Jesus on His journey, and in doing so find out how you can live a life of significance, filled with meaning. His calming presence, love and wisdom will make a tremendous difference in your life.