Greetings to my Beloved Mt. Vernon Family and Friends,

…But whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all Mark 10:43-44.

This is the fifth Sunday of Lent and our fourth full week of fasting and prayer. Amen! As we seek God’s face in fasting and prayer, it can be a humbling experience. In Psalm 35:13 the psalmist says, he humbled himself with fasting. In Mark 10:32-45 Jesus teaches the disciples what it means to follow Him. James and John come to Jesus asking to sit on His right hand and His left when He comes into glory. They want to be great in the kingdom of God. Jesus explains the kingdom of God does not work that way. Those who are truly great in the kingdom of God serve others. During Jesus time as well as today, people who are considered great by the world’s standards are people with power, fame, and money. Generally, they are people who are served by others. The disciples had a difficult time grasping servanthood as the way of greatness, as most do today. As we humble ourselves in this time of fasting, may God give us clarity about how He wants us to serve. The words to pause, reflect and pray over as we fast next week, April 4-9 are as follows:

Be Richly Blessed,

Pastor Deborah Giles