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3rd Sunday in Lent and Holy Communion Sunday. Communion Meditation: "Blue-collar Olympics" (1 Corinthians 10.1-13).  WorldSkills is an Olympics for tradespeople: brick-layers, plumbers, hair stylists, bakers, etc., that began in 1947 (have you ever heard of it?  Nei-ther have I!)  These practical skills urge us to develop a skill that we as Christians should have at our disposal: the ability to resist sin.

4th Sunday in Lent, Scout Sunday, and One Great Hour of Sharing.  Sermon: "Find-ing success in Failure" (2 Corinthians 5.16-21; Luke 15.1-3, 11b-32).  There is so much wrong in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son – a younger son who demands (not requests) his inheritance; that same son ending up as a pig feeder; a father who disgraces himself by running out of the house to meet his wayward child.  Yet there is a valuable lesson to be learned about transforma-tion and the new priorities that transformation can bring about.

5th Sunday in Lent.  Sermon: "Limping toward the Line" (Isaiah 43.16-21; Philippians 3.4b-14).  Maj. Phil Packer has a fascinating story.  Beginning with his nearly fatal injuries in Iraq and culminating with his completion of the London Marathon (in two weeks), he shows how it's possible to leave our past in the past and move on toward a future of unlimited possibilities.  As God said to Isaiah: "I am about to do a new thing!"

Palm Sunday.  Sermon: "Prepare the Way of the Lord!" (Psalm 118.1-2, 19-29; Luke 19.28-40). Preparing the President of the US for a trip to make a speech, and preparing the King of kings for a trip to Jerusalem makes for an interesting comparison.  The most important ques-tion for us, however, has to do with how we have prepared ourselves for Jesus' Triumphal Entry into our lives.