Hola Kelsey Family,

It's been another week of traveling. First, I was in Kerrville for the Residents In Ministry (RIM) retreat. Every time I go, I come back feeling hopeful about the church's leadership. These ordination candidates are wonderful people. They are faithful and intelligent, and I can't wait to see how God leads them. Between now and October, I have three more meetings with them. From Kerrville, I drove to San Angelo. Our family met at Sierra Vista UMC (a beautiful church) to get another Fletchermint married. It was a blessing to officiate at Nathan and Lex's wedding. One more to go! We got back home around 11 p.m. on Wednesday. Today's email is a little late because I was a little tired.

Let me thank those Kelsey saints who helped lead our first Steak Night on Monday and our Wednesday Lenten dinner. I'm grateful for their willingness to step up and lead. As United Methodists, that shouldn't be a surprise. We have always sought to encourage our lay people to live into the idea of the priesthood of all believers. Be ready to serve how God leads you, because you are enough and God will equip you.

This weekend, we're continuing our worship series through the book of Lamentations. I'd be curious to know what has caught your attention the most through these readings.

Also, did you have a chance to read our monthly report? The church council will provide these every month as a way to make sure you know what they're working on.

I still have a few more things to do before I get in a holy nap. And I hope you have a great rest of the week.

Stay blessed...john

P.S. Bring all your spare change to worship. The Kelsey Kids will take up our Noisy Offering. Oh, and ask me about the idea I have for our Kelsey Kids.

One of the challenges of learning to lament is simply knowing how to begin. Many of us were never taught how to bring grief, anger, or confusion to God in prayer. A helpful resource from The Upper Room offers a simple guide to the spiritual practice of lament. It reminds us that lament is “a prayer for help that comes from a place of pain or distress,” giving voice to our deepest questions and longings before God.

The guide walks through a biblical pattern for lament found in the Book of Psalms:

1. Address God

2. Name the problem honestly

3. Ask God for help

4. Express trust in God’s faithfulness

If you’d like to continue reflecting on this week’s message, take a few minutes to explore the resource and try writing your own prayer of lament.

In Lamentations 2, the prophet Jeremiah doesn’t clean up his grief. He doesn’t rush to easy answers. He brings devastation, confusion, and accusation straight to God.