The 2020 Lenten video study will feature the cabinet members of the Dakotas and Minnesota Conferences and the book, "Reckless love: Jesus' call to love our neighbor,” by Tom Berlin. Order the book here.

In his exploration of Jesus' teaching and travels with his diciples, Berlin suggests that Jesus teaches us how to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength by showing us how to love our neighbor. 

Rev. Tom Berlin, who serves as the senior pastor of Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, Virginia, shares the journey to love God more deeply by learning to love your neighbor better.

Maybe we have it a little backwards. As Christians, we strive to follow Jesus’ teaching to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength which, in turn, we hope will help us better love our family, friends, and leaders…our neighbors. But what if we turned that around and put the emphasis on loving our family, friends, leaders, and, yes, our neighbors? Might we then find that becoming a better neighbor leads us into the deep and loving relationship we’re striving to have with God? In Reckless Love, you will consider how to follow the Greatest Commandment and learn how your love for the people around you can completely renew your faith and give you a new experience of loving God. 

Each week, starting on February 24, 2020, one of the six chapters will be highlighted in each video. The video series will begin with an Ash Wednesday message and end with an Easter message from Bishop Ough. Here you will find the 2020 videos and resources:

Downloadable promotional video

Ash Wednesday (Feb. 26,2020), Bishop Ough: video | PDF version 

Access Vimeo portfolio containing all the Lenten study videos here.

Week 1—Begin with love, Rev. Kermit Culver and Rev. Susan Nienaber

Week 2—Expand the circle, Rev. Randy Cross and Rev. Fred Vanderwerf

Week 3—Lavish love, Rev. Kermit Culver and Rev. Cynthia Williams

Week 4—Open hearted love, Rev. Ben Ingebretson and Rev. Dan Johnsonn 

Week 5—Value the vulnerable, Rev. Cindy Gregorson and  Rev. Roger Spahr

Week 6—Emulate Christ, Rev. Laurie Kantonen and Rev. Rebecca Trefz

Easter (April 12, 2020), Bishop Ough: video | bulletin insert PDF version | bulletin insert Microsoft Word version