Bent on Lent" From Pastor John Hartman: March 2017

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1 From Pastor John Hartman: March 2017 Bent on Lent" The holy season of Lent begins on Wednesday, March 1. Christians call this day Ash Wednesday, because believers traditionally had ashes imposed on their foreheads on the Wednesday before the first Sunday in Lent as a public sign of penitence and preparation. In the earlier centuries of the church, when the discipline of public penitence was still in full force, penitent people sometimes sprinkled ashes on their heads or wore rough garments on which ashes had been sprinkled. This practice is rooted in the Hebrew tradition, when mourners wore sackcloth and ashes during times of grief, and sinners applied ashes to their bodies at times of fasting as public symbols of repentance. In the 10th and 11th century, when public penitence had become obsolete, Christians gathered on the Wednesday before the first Sunday in Lent to have blessed ashes (used from the palm branches of the previous year s Palm Sunday) put on their foreheads. The priest would intone Genesis 3:1: "Remember, you are dust and to dust you shall return." It was a sign of mortality and complete dependence upon God, who raises up dusty mortals to new life in Jesus Christ. Lent is a term which refers to the lengthening of the days, the growth from winter to spring, darkness to light, from the cold to the warmth. It is also a season of growth and development, not only for the slumbering earth, but for the 'slumbering' church as well. The claims of Lent upon the Christian consciousness are ancient and great, providing as they do a unique season of disciplined introspection and Easter expectation. Our cherished devotion to the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, study, meditation, and self-denial makes us good candidates for holiness during time of year. Lent is also our chance to get ready for Holy Week and Easter, recognizing as we do that these celebrations require much more than a few hours preparation or notice. I encourage your full and faithful participation for during this season. What we believe about the cross and resurrection should prevent us from any halfhearted devotion or apathy to our Christian faith. Instead, let us join hearts, hands, and voices as we embrace the regimen of these holy, blessed days. Yours in Christ, John Called to follow Christ, Equipped to share Christ s teaching, Committed to serve Christ in the world! MINISTER: John P. Hartman OFFICE MANAGER: Martha Shannon MUSIC DIRECTOR: Blake Tickle ACCOMPANIST: Cynthia Hartis HANDBELL DIRECTOR: Claire Clark NURSERY CARE COORDINATOR: Joyce Gardner DIRECTOR FELLOWSHIP SCHOOLS: Melissa Mitchell 2005 New Garden Road Greensboro, NC Fellowship Press online: wordpress/files/newsletter/newsletter.pdf Calendar online: /im-new/calendar/

2 March Preaching Schedule of Top 40 Bible Stories March 5 Wandering in the Wilderness (Exodus 16) The Sacrament of Holy Communion March 12 The 10 Commandments (Exodus 20) March 19 Joshua and the Walls of Jericho (Joshua 1-6) March 26 Samson and Delilah (Judges 16) Seekers Class meets in the Parlor: The Seekers continue the study of the Heidelberg Catechism, one of our Presbyterian Church's Confessional Statements that date back to 1563, and uses a question and answer format, drawing on biblical language and reformed theology. Belva Jo Moore, Discussion Leader. From Nora Burleson: Do you have time on your hands? Do you sew? I am desperate for someone to help make blanks for our bone pillows. I will furnish fabric, and a sewing machine if needed. The last two months the hospital came to pick up pillows I was short of the needed amount. Please if you can help call me at These blanks would be for Creative Hearts and Hands and are very easy to make. - Nora Burleson SAGES to Hear Concert Our next SAGES gathering will be on Tuesday, March 21, at Starmount Presbyterian Church, 3501 West Market St., to hear a concert during their weeklong series of Bach s Lunches. The 45 minute concert of piano music by Dmitri Shteinberg begins at 12:15. Those who wish to carpool will meet at Fellowship by 11:40. Following the concert we will gather for lunch at Bravo Restaurant in the Friendly Center (approximately 1:00 PM). Please RSVP to Nancy Gibble, by Sunday, March19.

3 Come to Fellowship s Church-wide Yard Sale! Fellowship Presbyterian Church will be holding an Indoor Yard Sale from 6:00am until noon on Saturday, April 1 st, We ask that you drop off your gently used items starting March 28 th until March 30 th from 5:00-7:00pm. There will be a Special Drop-off available March 25 th from 10:00am to noon. We DO want you to donate: Clothes (on hangers, if possible) Kitchen items Small appliances Rugs We DO NOT want you to donate: TVs VCRs Large Appliances DVD Players Computers Refrigerators Shoes Knick-knacks Towels Tools Furniture Games and Toys Contact Dick Lee at , or Richard_Lee@vfc.com to arrange pickup. Furniture will be picked up on March 25 th ONLY!!!!! We will not be taking checks or credit cards SAME DAY CASH AND CARRY!! Forms for deductible tax donations will be available. All proceeds will go to Fellowship Missions We look forward to seeing you! Cooking for the Homeless at Pathways this past February 12: The Bloodmobile Crew

4 Easter Lilies Symbolize Spiritual Values. Easter Lilies will again be placed in the front of the sanctuary on Easter Sunday, April 16, to remind us of the spiritual values of purity, life, and renewal. This year the lilies have been generously donated, but we encourage you to purchase a lily or lilies in honor of or in memory of a loved one. All money collected will go to support the ONE GREAT HOUR of SHARING mission. A gift to One Great Hour of Sharing enables the church to share God s love with our neighbors-in-need around the world by providing relief to those affected by natural disasters, providing food to the hungry, and helping to empower the poor and oppressed. Order forms for your purchase will be included in the church bulletins in mid-march and April or you may order through the church office, The cost will be $10 each and Easter Lily should be noted on the memo line of your check. Please include the name of the person(s) whom you d like to remember or honor. The final order date will be Sunday, April 2. Thank you for helping to add to the beauty of the Easter Worship Service and supporting One Great Hour of Sharing. Please take the lily/lilies you purchase home with you following the Easter Service. Back Pack Project Thank You: "A HUGE thank you for your help yesterday (Sunday, February 26) at BackPack Beginnings' office! What was accomplished in 1.5 hours was amazing. We were able to stuff 120 Comfort BackPacks, sort hundreds of clothing items and check over a dozen boxes of food. We are so grateful of your time and hard work. Since our program is a 100% volunteer-run organization, we rely on the generosity of volunteers like you. While some of the tasks may have seemed trivial or redundant, it all works toward the larger picture, helping underprivileged children in our area! Our vision is a community of healthy and well-nurtured children. The efforts you put have made our program a more efficient and stronger organization and one step closer to that vision. Thanks so much, and we hope to work with each of you again in the future! You can follow us on Instagram or Parker White 150 Years! St. James Presbyterian Church is celebrating 150 years of service this year. They plan activities commemorating this milestone with something significant each month of the year. Congratulations, St. James!

5 Electronic Messaging Sign Update: Construction begins next week. After two years of planning, it will become a reality! $25, has been donated $3,300 expected in pledges, totaling $28, That will leaving $9,275 needed by April 1, Thank you for your generous donations! Hopefully we can dig deep to fulfill this commitment to share our story with the community. March Birthdays: March 2 March 11 March 11 March 16 March 17 March 17 March 22 March 23 March 25 March 25 March 26 March 27 **March 28 John Hart Lee Wineholt Dan Seaman Kate Platz Tracy Dobbins Matthew Carter Grace King Emily French Betsy Craver Andrew Carter Emma Mitchell Gail French Pat Voss (including her birthday in case some want to acknowledge it to her family) From our Poet Laureate Eileen Morman: Spring Is Coming What is it about the coming of spring That gives us such a glow? Is it because the dead of winter makes us Feel dreary with the trees looking bleak Until new leaves begin to grow? Our lives are like the winter: sometimes Dull and other times just fine; we adjust To whatever happens in our minds and lives. Be of good cheer now the flowers begin To appear. They brighten up our world just Like the people we love are near. God is in His heaven looking down from Up above, knowing we are thankful For all He does for us.