Weekly Greeting - March 20, 2026
As I sit here writing this article for the Weekly Greeting, I reflect on the past few days. Saturday, I worked in the yard with my grandson pulling weeds and preparing beds for some new plants. The day was lovely and we were perfectly comfortable in shorts and t-shirts. Yesterday, Sunday, the temperature rose a bit, but the wind set in. As my wife and I walked into a gym to watch a different grandson’s basketball game, we had to lean into the wind. By evening the wind was gale-force and we were watching for tornados. Today, I am watching snow flurries. Tonight promises a hard freeze.
I think that my temperament is better than Nashville weather! I sure hope it is. But my wife tells me that as I get closer to a deadline, I get mostly cloudy. I guess that holds true when packing for a trip, during tax season, and preparing for a sermon.
When I put the last dot on this article, I will go back to working on my sermon for this Sunday, “The Good News is: Rooted in Justice, Mercy, and Faithfulness (Rated R for Mature Audiences)”
As I have researched for this message, I have noticed the rising tensions between Jesus and the established religious authorities who perceived him as a threat. As he approached Jerusalem, he became increasingly critical of the Temple authorities, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees – all of whom sought to prioritize loyal adherence to the Law of Moses. Jesus, a good Jew, considered the Law valuable and good for his community. He felt that the Law was meant to help people live together in righteousness, justice and mercy. He was more concerned with restoring what was right than he was with punishing people who broke it.
You can see why the religious leaders were threatened by the popularity of Jesus in the outlying villages. He was healing “unclean” people, feeding multitudes, and forgiving sins. He was interpreting the Law for the benefit of the people, not for the punishment of them.
As we come together this 5th Sunday of Lent, we will be closer in our Lenten journey to Holy Week . . . symbolically closer to Jerusalem. This year’s journey has looked at the goodness of God and God’s mercy. This week we will draw closer to God by wrestling with our own rules and seeking to interpret them in the most just, merciful and faithful ways.
No matter what the weather is like, we hope to join with everyone at Bethlehem UMC this Sunday. Sunday School is at 9:00 and Worship is at 10:15.
Oh yes, be sure to check the list of events for young people and special Holy Week worship services for all.
Terry Carty