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Dear San Marco Church Family: Recently, I was thinking about the "two wolves" parable of Cherokee wisdom. You may recall the story of a wise grandfather who tells his grandson that there is a battle within us all between two wolves. The one wolf consists of greed, envy, jealousy and anger. The other wolf consists of hope, peace, joy and love. When the grandson asks which wolf wins the battle, the grandfather replies, "the one that you feed." This is such an instructive story, and it is especially insightful for the season of Lent. When we give something up for Lent, we are effectively starving that craving. Yet we may not find the sacrifice helpful if we do not also select something to feed. I have found that embracing a new, healthy practice inspires me and makes it easier to ignore whatever vice I have abandoned. So I challenge you by asking not what you gave up for Lent, but what you are embracing or "feeding" to help you grow spiritually. The average American home has between 3 and 4 Bibles. Yet the number of Americans who actually read scripture daily is between 11% and 17%. About 30% say they never read scripture. Embracing daily scripture reading, even for a short time, changes the way we see God and the people in our lives. I encourage you to set aside a daily time to read a chapter of scripture. Preston’s Bible study is off to a great start! Remember that the class meets Wednesdays with gathering at 6pm and starting the study at 6:15pm. Please make an effort to come next Wednesday. You’re in for a treat! This Sunday, March 1, our scripture passage will be John 3: 1-17. The message, “Not to Condemn”, seeks to offer new perspectives on this familiar passage. As always, I appreciate your prayers and your presence in worship. Take our bishop’s challenge and attend worship each Sunday this Lent. You will be feeding the “good wolf” by doing so! I look forward to seeing you Sunday! Steve Hart
stevehart100@gmail.com
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