Lenten Meals and Studies To Be Held

Transcription

1 Community Congregational Church United Church of Christ P.O. Box 762 McCall, ID Website: mccallucc.org Rev. Charlottie Havlicak, Pastor March 2017 Volume XXVI Number 3 Lenten Meals and Studies To Be Held The Lenten Season is a time of renewing our commitment to follow the pathway of Jesus. It is a time of simple meals of soup and bread to feed our bodies and a short study to feed our souls. In keeping with the theme of serving others during the season, the weekly Lenten meals at McCall Community Congregational United Church of Christ will focus on our mission and ministry in our community The meals will be held each Wednesday, beginning March 8, and continuing through April 5. At 5:30 p.m. we will enjoy a meal of soup and bread, followed by a study at 6:15 p.m. A sign-up sheet is being circulated for those who would like to help with the meal. As Lent is a time of service to others, this year we are again learning about our mission and ministry in our community. Speakers will include Aimee Clay and Graham Pinard, talking about the ministry of Young Life and Wyld Life in the community; Sean McCallister, who will speak about the hospital expansion and patient care at St. Luke s (Continued on Page 6)

2 Pastor s Writings Let Us Daily Take Up Our Cross and Follow the Christ! The season of Lent consists of forty days and six Sundays, beginning on March 1 st, Ash Wednesday, and continuing to April 16 th, Easter Sunday. During Lent, we renew our faith and commitment to Jesus the Christ. Lent prepares us for the joyful Easter celebration Jesus Christ s resurrection from the grave, giving us salvation, mercy, grace, forgiveness and eternal life. The richness of Lent lies in its simplicity. In our society, we need to take time to renew our lives and Lent encourages us to do so. How can we be ready to receive the joys of Jesus resurrection on Easter Sunday if we have not gone through a time of Lent, the darkness of Maundy Thursday, and the crucifixion on Good Friday? Lent allows us the time to take stock of our lives and prepares us to receive God s gift of everlasting life, through the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Our lives pass by so quickly and we need to always be aware that time waits for no one. We should try to live our lives as if each day could be our last. There might not be a tomorrow to tell someone that we love them, to ask for forgiveness if we have offended someone. It is the living and the loving of those close around us that gives our lives meaning. We should try each day to make a difference for good in someone s life to do small acts of kindness for it can often change a life. And that reminds me, have I told you lately just how important you are to me, how much I love and appreciate each one of you? Jesus knew how important relationships were. He had a special, loving, living relationship with His disciples and with His friends. But Jesus also had a special relationship with His Father. I would like to encourage each one of us to spend time in prayer, reading scripture and in meditation, to build our own relationship with God. During the time of Lent, we will be sharing soup and bread each Wednesday evening and a time of study about our mission and ministry in this community and our world. Please set aside each Wednesday evening. Let the time of Lent refresh our lives.

3 March Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 5 10:45 a.m. Worship Communion Service of Ashes 6 Women s 7 7 p.m. Practice a.m. Trustees 5:30 p.m. Lenten Meal & Study 9 3 St. Luke s Healthy Eating Workshop 6:30 p.m. Community a.m. Community 1 st Sunday In Lent 12 10:45 a.m. Worship 6 p.m. 2 nd Sunday 6 2 nd Sunday In Lent 13 Women s a.m. Quilting Group 7 p.m. Practice a.m. Quilting Group 5:30 p.m. Lenten Meal & Study :45 a.m. Worship 6 p.m. Lincoln Williams Sr. Project 3 rd Sunday In Lent 20 Women s 21 7 p.m. Practice 22 5:30 p.m. Lenten Meal & Study 23 4:30 p.m. Deacons 24 6:30 p.m. Community 25 9 a.m. Community 26 10:45 a.m. Worship One Great Hour of Sharing Offering 4 th Sunday In Lent 27 Women s 28 7 p.m. Practice 29 5:30 p.m. Lenten Meal & Study :30 p.m. Concert Dress Rehearsal

4 Let s Get Re-Acquainted Robert and Kathy Blackmon Robert was born in Oakland, California in He graduated from Alhambra High School in A year later he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served with the 4 th Infantry in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, earning a purple heart. Upon his discharge from the Army, Rob attended Humbolt State University in Arcata, California. He graduated in 1976 with degrees in Education, American History and Abnormal Psychology. Rob s career was 27 years of teaching middle school Social Studies and coaching wrestling. He is a certified fitness trainer and a certified high school wrestling referee. Kathy was born in Ontario, Oregon to J.B. (Jason) and Goldie Ogburn, the second of four children. She attended school in Ontario and graduated from Ontario High School. She attended Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario and graduated from Eastern Oregon University in LaGrande with a teaching degree. Kathy taught sixth grade for four years. She then transferred to first grade, and found her niche. She had always wanted to be a teacher like her mother, and it was definitely her dream job. Upon retirement, Kathy said, I was not ready to retire, but with the teaching jobs scarce, I felt I needed to resign and make room for a new teacher. I d gotten to live my dream for 30 years. Rob and Kathy moved to McCall in August 0f In winter Robert enjoys skiing and snowboarding. In summer he plays tennis, kayaks and gardens. Scuba diving and windsurfing are his hobbies. He credits Kathy for his love of gardening and his religious revival. Kathy enjoys quilting, going for walks and gardening. She and Rob love growing flowers of all kinds, but especially roses. The Blackmons have three children: Alyssa, Jonathan and Juliana, and five grandchildren. Their McCall family includes their dogs, Rudy and Mindy, their best friends. When Rob and Kathy were looking for a church in McCall, this church looked like the one they were married in, so they came here. They became members in November, 2010, and we have been so blessed to have them as part of our church family!

5 The Service of Ashes To Be Held This year Ash Wednesday will be March 1. This is the beginning of Lent and the Easter season. The Service of Ashes will be held Sunday, March 5, during the worship service. If you have not yet done so, please bring your palm branches from last year s Palm Sunday service to the church office so they can be burned to provide the ashes. Altar Flowers Requested It has been some time since there have been special flowers on the altar for a Sunday. If anyone would like to provide flowers in memory or in honor of a loved one, there is a calendar on the bulletin board across from the church office to sign up on. The flowers can be from a florist or from your own flower garden. They need to be at the church by noon on the Friday before the Sunday you choose. You will be responsible for payment, delivery and removal of the flowers. If your flowers are from home, please bring them arranged in a vase. Your name and the name of your honoree will be listed in the church bulletin on Sunday. What Is Lent? Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means spring. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others. Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a mini-easter and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.

6 One Great Hour of Sharing Offering To Be Received The One Great Hour of Sharing offering enables the United Church of Christ to reach people and communities affected by disaster, displacement or poverty. Through this offering, we provide assistance to families and communities around the world, helping them to become stronger, healthier and better equipped to address hardships and catastrophes. Each year One Great Hour of Sharing produced its Annual Mission Report to highlight the work of the offering. This report gives in opportunity to share how funds were used during the year, and recognize the people impacted by generous giving to the offering. None of this work would be possible without your support. The 2017 theme for the offering is You are here which would easily be the response to a question provoked by tragedy, fear or suffering: Where are You, God? Psalm 145:18 echoes the refrain throughout scripture that God is nearby. As soon as a person calls on God, God is here. You are here shows the church uniting to respond to the many critical needs present in our world today. Our support is given through partner organizations responding to health, education and agricultural development needs, refugee initiatives, and both international and domestic disaster response. When we give, as the United Church of Christ individuals, groups and congregations it means that the church can stand strong, in the midst of need whether it is nearby or far away. When God s love abides in us, we are moved to respond with our own material goods to the needs of other members of God s family. The One Great Hour of Sharing offering will be received on Sunday, March 26. Please prayerfully consider what you can give to this outreach of the church. Lenten Meals (Continued from Page 1) McCall; and Lyle Nelson, whose topic will be Wholly Holy. Pastor Char and Tyler Vance will also share on prayer with word and music, and Pastor Char and Tom Robin Harris will share about Jesus in the garden and his crucifixion. Everyone is encouraged to join in this time of learning and fellowship as we prepare for Easter. Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour before bed on Saturday, March 11.

7 The Boise Chordsmen To Perform The Boise Chordsmen will be the featured artists at the Second Sunday Six recital in March. The Boise Chordsmen is a chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society and is located in the beautiful Treasure Valley of southern Idaho. Led by Director Rich Lapp, they have members who reside all over the valley. They are a men s chorus who love to sing a cappella in the barbershop style. The Boise Chordsmen are members of the Barbershop Harmony Society and are Division V champions in the Evergreen District. We are dedicated to the promotion and development of Barbershop singing by entertaining people of all ages throughout the community. The recital will be held Sunday, March 12, at McCall Community Congregational United Church of Christ, beginning at 6 p.m. There is no charge for the performance, but donations are welcomed. March, when days are getting long, Let thy growing hours be strong To set right some wintry wrong. --Caroline May, 1887 Birthday Greetings... March 2 Louis Miller March 4 Lindsey Hall March 5 Jolean Quimby March 6 Marlys Saltzer March 7 Henry Dingman Rayann Knoll March 8 Lamond Woods March 10 Marlene Fissell March 13 Kay Blas March 15 Ed Hershberger March 16 Tyler Vance March 17 Lynnlee Cox Tamara Kam March 21 Tom Henderson March 23 John Rygh March 24 Dr. David Hall March 26 John Baker March 28 Nickie Them March 29 Bryant Reinhard March 30 Patti Barrow Happy Anniversary March 15 Tony & Pam Nash March 18 Harry & Lois Warden March 30 Ray & Charlottie Havlicak

8 Community Congregational Church United Church of Christ P.O. Box 762 McCall, ID 83638