Pastor’s Message for April 2026

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” -Luke 22:42

Dear Friends,

Lent invited us into a quieter, deeper place—a season where we slow down long enough to notice what is stirring in our hearts and where God may be calling us to trust more fully.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus gives us a powerful picture of prayer. Facing the weight of the cross, He does not hide his anguish. Instead, he says, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow…” and asks his closest friends, “Stay awake with me.” Then he prays with raw honesty: “Father… take this cup from me. Yet not my will, but yours.”

There is something deeply comforting here. Jesus does not pretend to be strong—He is honest. He does not pray perfect words—He prays true ones. And in doing so, he shows us that prayer is not about saying the right thing, but about bringing our real selves before God.

Lent also reminded us of Jesus’ call to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.” This kind of self-denial is not about losing ourselves, but about releasing our grip on control. It is choosing trust over comfort, obedience over ease. Often, it looks less like grand gestures and more like quiet faithfulness—small, daily “yes” moments that no one else may see.

What we learn in Gethsemane is that the cross does not begin on a hill—it begins in prayer. Before Jesus carries the cross, he surrenders to it. In the same way, we are invited to bring our own struggles, fears, and desires before God, and to trust Him with what we find there.

The invitation is simple: stay awake. Stay present. Stay in prayer. And when the moment comes, may we have the courage to say, “Not my will, but yours.” As we move forward into the Easter season and approach Pentecost, let us remember the lessons of Lent.

God loves you, and so do I,
Pastor Jim