By now most of you have heard the sad news of the fire that destroyed a good portion of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris yesterday.  The wooden roof of this more than 850 year old structure was completely consumed by fire.  So now the nearly one million visitors a month who go there to admire this historic edifice will have to find something else to capture their fancy for the years it will take to rebuild.

As sad as it is to see such a historic place engulfed in flames, what is really sad is that France has become a country where the loss of a building inspired by the Gospel of Christ is mourned far more than the loss of the Gospel of Christ itself.  Some 40% of French citizens don’t even believe God exists (verses 27% who do think He does). In this predominantly Roman Catholic country, just 1.8% of French Catholics practice their faith regularly and less than 3% of French people are even say they are Protestants. France is in desperate need of the “holy fire” of spiritual revival only Jesus can bring.  That fire doesn’t destroy; it brings life!

The good news is that the real work of God in this world is still a work of spiritual fire that consumes people with life, not death…beauty not destruction.  While we remember the death of Jesus this Friday of Holy Week, we celebrate… we live… the LIFE OF JESUS this and every Sunday.  LIFE is what has called Christ-followers together every week, every Sunday, for over two-thousand years. 

So don’t miss the spiritual “fire” God wants to use to ignite us this Holy Week through the different worship celebrations of our Lord Jesus Christ this weekend. 

Good Friday:  we will gather at 7:00 p.m. for a one-hour service of worship at the foot of the cross.  There we’ll see how every one of us has been involved in “KILLING GOD.”  Through music, prayer, Communion, biblical meditations, Scripture and a brief drama, we will ask God to draw us closer to the role we each played in crucifying Christ.

Holy Saturday:  Our Changing Lives ministry will be hosting for our neighbors a special Easter Weekend Dinner in the HUB at 7:00 p.m.  If you would like to help serve, please contact Audrey at .  Changing Lives service is at 5:00 with groups at 6:00 p.m. 

Easter Sunday:  If you like life…and cinnamon rolls…you’ll love this Sunday!  During our fellowship time between the 8:45 and 10:45 Easter services (10:00-10:45), we’ll be enjoying fellowship, coffee and special cinnamon rolls from Rocket Bakery as we celebrate the special resurrection life Jesus offers each of us…all the time. 

May Christ’s LIFE and the Holy Spirit’s FIRE consume us all this week…and forever to come.

Pastor John