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Here are highlights of the February HERALD!
Taking On For Lent The season of Lent starts with Ash Wednesday. Lent is a season of self-examination and prayer preceding the observance of Holy Week. It consists of 40 days excluding Sundays.
Lent is traditionally a time of giving up things; meat, chocolate, alcohol, etc. as a way of participating in Jesus’ time in the wilderness and his ultimate sacrifice. However, Lent doesn’t always mean forbidding ourselves some pleasures. It can be an opportunity to search the places of God’s presence.
Lent is not all about giving things up. It is also adding good things to our lives or to other’s lives. Here are a few suggestions for you to consider taking on for Lent; ü Make a commitment to be in worship every Sunday in Lent.ü Take on a daily devotion each day of Lent. (The UCC website has a great daily devotion – www.ucc.org)ü Schedule 10 minutes of the day to sit in quiet meditation.ü Volunteer 40 hours (40 days of Lent) during these weeks.ü Start your day with prayer – speaking to God your joys and concerns for the coming day.ü Take a walk (Good for your health too)ü Attend the Lenten Bible Studyü Read your child or grandchild or a child of a friend a book each weekü Send someone a note that you are thinking of them.ü Call a relative that you have not spoken to in a long time.ü Read the book of Mark during Lent (Mark is the lectionary readings this year)ü Invite someone to come with you to church (Keep inviting someone until you succeed).ü Try to find a new way to bring the presence of Christ into your daily life.These are only some of the things that you can do during Lent. What other ideas can you come up with? Take up something for Lent. It is a time when we deepen our relationship with God.
Pastor Ken
Lent The season of Lent starts with Ash Wednesday. Lent is a season of self-examination and prayer preceding the observance of Holy Week. It consists of 40 days excluding Sundays. The tern Lent is derived from roots that mean to Lengthen. The Lenten season points to the spring of the year and to the increasing daylight hours which spring brings.
We will be observing Lent with special services and events. Pastor Ken will be preaching a Lenten sermon series on “To Walk the Way of the Cross. Come as we journey with Jesus to Jerusalem.
Ash Wednesday We will be observing Ash Wednesday on February 22nd with an Agape Meal and the receiving of ashes. The meal will start at 6:30PM and the service of ashes will follow. Watch the weekly bulletin for details
Before the Fast, the Feast! On Sunday February 19th there will be a special family service leading to Lent. We will be celebrating the preparation for Lent with a “Carnival”, “Mardi Gras”, “Shrove Tuesday” type service and feast.
Talitha Arnold in her book “Worship for Vital Congregations” tells us;
“A choice for this Sunday before Ash Wednesday, is to pull out all the stops and celebrate Mardi Gras… [Jesus] knew how to have a good time. It got him in trouble more than once, but it never stopped him. The season that starts right after Mardi Gras leads right to the Last Supper. It also leads to those resurrection appearances when he was known in the breaking of the bread and in the breakfast on the beach. A celebration of Mardi Gras can take us to those places and give us a taste of the feast to come.”
Come to worship on February 19th and bring a friend or two as we prepare for the season of Lent with a feast!
Lenten Bible StudyShalom: A Study of the Biblical Concept of Peace Shalom shines Biblical light on the issues and unsettled mood of our times. See what the Bible says. Old Testament scholar Donald E. Gowan unravels the multiple biblical threads in this exploration of the Hebrew concept of “shalom” and the Greek “eirene”.
Join Pastor Ken as we explore this topic during the season of Lent. We will gather on Thursday evenings from 7:15 – 8:30 PM. Plans are being explored to include a Labyrinth walk during this study.
The Center for Progressive Renewal & the New Jersey Association Present THE FUTURE IS COMING!SHARING STRATEGIES FOR A VITAL CONGREGATIONThe New Jersey Association is proud to present the Rev. Cameron Trimble, nationally acclaimed church growth expert, church pastor, senior consultant of the Center for Progressive Renewal, and co-author of the book Liberating Hope: Daring to Renew the Mainline Church. Come understand why our culture is changing and how our local congregations can respond in ways to attract newcomers and help revitalize our churches.You simply don’t want to miss this!Saturday, March 17, 2012Admission: $15 includes meals and event admissionShort Hills Community ChurchShort Hills, New Jersey This is a relevant topic for our church. Pastor Ken in urging as many as possible to attend this event. He has attended a number of seminars and courses offered by The Center of Progressive Renewal and has found them extremely helpful. We will be carpooling so speak to Pastor Ken if you plan on attending.
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