Can a town come together in a week?

Yes it can, for Holy Week! Remembering why we celebrate Easter, Sequim believers gathered together.

Local churches opened their doors to all: Neither denomination nor weather kept them away from the bittersweet celebration of Jesus' death and victorious resurrection.

Each host church was blessed with a message through a pastor from a different church and they graciously served a delicious lunch. Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church chefs restrained themselves from serving lutefisk: This brought quite a chuckle!

Monday, April 6: Pastor Jack Anderson (Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church) came to Sequim Worship Center and Olympic Bible Fellowship with a message of the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-32.

"A broken heart in search of healing." The father's heart needed healing from his younger son's abrupt departure; the younger son's heart needed healing because his decisions brought him such hardship; the older son needed his heart broken, softened, from wrong attitudes. We all were encouraged to look at our own hearts to see "which son were we" in situations.

Author's note: I encourage you to read the Scripture, relating it to your own heart.

Tuesday, April 7: Pastor Mike Van Proyen (King's Way Foursquare) came to Sequim Community Church with

"What matters," Matthew 21:18-22 and Matthew 17:20.

Jesus was hungry, yet the fig tree was barren. He cursed the tree. Immediately, the fig tree withered away.

"If you have faith and do not doubt, you will do what was done to this fig tree ...." The fruit of our actions matters, our motivation matters, our words definitely matter, our faith matters. If we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can say to this mountain ... move! We were challenged: Things matter; we can either wither someone or grow something.

Note: After reading these Scriptures, see how you relate to what matters.

Wednesday, April 8: Pastor Dave Westman (Sequim Worship Center) came to Dungeness Valley Lutheran Church with a thought-provoking message about Judas, the thief who was the treasurer, the betrayer, John 13:21-32.

"Treason is a capital offense!" We could all relate to an experience of unfulfilled/unspoken expectation. Look at Judas as Jesus did. Judas had to betray Jesus to fulfill Scripture, but Jesus was probably troubled in his spirit, as Judas was not going to repent.

In that very breath of time of betrayal, Jesus spoke, "Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him ...." This betrayal was a bittersweet instrument in God's plan to bring glory to Jesus and himself.

Judas, if you had only repented and received salvation.

Note: Jesus saves all who truly repent; no sin too great for his mercy.

Thursday, April 9: Pastor Dennis Ackley (Olympic View Church of God) came to Trinity United Methodist Church sharing Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet at Passover, John 13:1-20.

"Do you know what I've done to you?" It is for us to give up our rights, prestige and power to serve each other.

In Philippians 2:5-11, we read that Jesus made himself of no reputation, humbling himself to be obedient to the point of death on the cross ... for all mankind. As believers, we are to serve each other.

Note: After reading the Scriptures, learn anew how to serve each other ... with a servant's heart.

Friday, April 10: Pastor Steve Welty (Glory House Fellowship) came to

Sequim Bible Church to conclude this wonderful week with "a word of faith." Jesus leads us on a road of faith to help us overcome hardships in our lives. He is the author and finisher of our faith.

Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Also understood, Christ is risen hoped for, the evidence of salvation unseen. They ran to an empty tomb. We run to a living Savior.

John 20:1-31. Doubting Thomas wouldn't believe unless he saw and touched Jesus himself. When Jesus appeared again, Thomas proclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus replied, "... Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Note: Lord, give us bold faith to share the good news of salvation according to your Word.

Final note: A great idea, to exchange and visit like this once a month or once a quarter will be discussed at an upcoming pastors' meeting.

Thank you to all who participated, who sang out joyfully, who ate gratefully, who contributed generously financially and who served unconditionally. God bless!



The Rev. Carol Kindt owns Beside Still Waters and is pastor of the Grace Northwest Fellowship - Full Gospel Christian Ministry, in Sequim.