Easter Week in La Mesa—and a New Columnist for La Mesa Patch

Coming in the spring, Easter often is associated with fresh beginnings.  So as Holy Week dawns, we are pleased to debut a new column: La Mesa Under God.

T.C. Porter will be its writer.  He’ll share the good news of La Mesa churches and congregations in action—and La Mesans elsewhere who keep the faith with their neighbors and society.

A University of Missouri alumnus who graduated magna cum laude from Bethel Seminary of San Diego in 2009, Porter is perfectly suited for this assignment.

He has written for at least seven major newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times and Dallas Morning News—covering mainly sports.  He later became a financial consultant but kept his hand (and heart) in things spiritual—as director of youth and family ministries at Hope United Church in Florida and later Scripps Mesa Bible Church in San Diego.

He’s been a co-founding director of Adams Avenue Crossing, a pioneering nonprofit specializing in spirituality and charity.

But Porter’s real calling may be writing, and he’s launched a career as a novelist.  On his website, he writes:

I have been writing since preschool, when I drew little dinosaur pictures with one-liners below onto a story book. In second grade I wrote and directed a school play, Etcetera. This is my fourth start at a novel and this time I have a heavy burden to finish. Introducing: Android Jesus.

T.C. Porter won’t share his column burden alone, however.  He’ll reach out to La Mesa’s more than three dozen churches.

But you’ll be this column’s salvation as well. You’re invited to tip him off to important events and projects, pastors and parishioners doing God’s work in La Mesa and elsewhere.  And any La Mesan with a spiritual bent who merits thanks and praise.

Please join me in welcoming T.C. Send him items for this column. He can be reached at tcporter@live.com.

SEASON WITH REASONS: Easter is known for egg hunts and abnormally congested church parking lots. And the Christian community is abuzz for several weeks in advance, particularly on Holy Week, commencing on Palm Sunday, April 17.

“Holy Week is the culmination of the Lenten season, all of which leads up to the celebration of  the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave on Easter morning,” said the Rev. Dr. Kevin Womack of Fletcher Hills Presbyterian Church. “Lent is a 40-day season of reflection, focus on God and our need of God, and preparation for Easter worship. Those 40 days do not include Sundays, as Sunday is always reserved for the celebration of the new life given to us through Jesus' resurrection.”

It might seem ritualistic, but there is reason to the season.

“This process is quite similar to the way in which we would carefully prepare for any special occasion or event, to ensure that we were completely ready for the special day,” Womack said.

And so on this weekend’s Palm Sunday, Christians enter into the biblical week. It begins with the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on a donkey, greeted with palm fronds. On Maundy Thursday, the traditional church recalls’ Jesus washing his disciples feet in the Upper Room on the night he was betrayed, serving the Last Supper before being turned over to authorities by Judas.

The wryly titled Good Friday recalls Jesus’ crucifixion. Many churches spend Friday with reflective and dark gatherings. And then Saturday—nothing. Waiting for Easter, which marks the resurrection.

“We feel that it is essential to travel the road of the Lenten season, and especially Holy Week, because we must travel through the difficulty and darkness of what Jesus endured to truly know and celebrate the light and hope of his Easter resurrection,” Womack said.

Fletcher Hills’ Holy Week gatherings are as follows:  8:30 and 10 a.m. Palm Sunday worship; 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday communion; 7 p.m. Good Friday worship; 8:30 and 10 a.m. Easter worship, which includes free breakfast from 8:45 to 10 a.m. and egg hunt at 9:45 a.m.

CELEBRATING THE ARTS: Some churches celebrate Holy Week in less traditional ways. even gets started a day early. lts Spring Art Festival is 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday in the church parking lot at 5150 Jackson Dr.

“The main idea is that art seems to be a great opportunity to celebrate all the beauties of spring,” said Graham Clifford, family life pastor. “And we want to get people in our community together in one common place.”

The celebration features free food and several artistic mediums, including live music, community art projects and photography. For the kids:  a bounce house, animal paintings and other family activities. Much of the art is contributed by students of the public charter school on site.

The festival marks La Mesa Church of Christ’s increased involvement with the city, Clifford said.

“We’re trying to make some changes just to reach out to people in the community, just as they are, and do whatever we can to love on them,” he said. “We do this by having community events like this or contributing by having a lot of our members buying school supplies, for individual kids in need or supplies for the schools themselves.”

Clifford started out at the church five years ago as youth and family minister. In working with teens, his role has developed into a more holistic role in which he encourages teens and families to be involved in one another’s lives and in the lives of those beyond the church.

THE GOAL OF PRAYER: hosts a regional prayer and worship service at 6:30 p.m, Wednesday, April 20.

Thomas Bush, prayer coordinator for San Diego Regional Prayer Network, will facilitate the event.

“In this season, people are thinking about spiritual things,” said Bush, referring to the week leading to Easter. “The goal is to pray for people by name.”

In an email announcing the event, Bush shared “10 Most Wanted by God–Your Personal Prayer List,” something he compiled from several sources. 

He wrote: “Pray daily for each person by name, asking God to draw them to Himself by the Holy Spirit. Pray that God would remove every barrier so that they will have opportunities to hear about and receive God’s love.”

That will be the tenor of the prayer time, following an opening service of worship.