Lent

A snowstorm of 4+ inches eliminated most of the events of the past week. Both Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday were eliminated as well as the remainder of the Wednesday activities – Bible Study, ECW and the Food distribtution. We had 35 at the service on Sunday, Feb. 22, Lent 1. The sermon dealt with transitions which are apparent in the Gospel reading from Jesus being baptized, to being driven into the wilderness for 40 days and finally beginning his ministry proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

Good Friday is a blend of all of the Holy Week services. There is a long reading like Palm Sunday, this year in Luke. The reading in Good Friday is always from John, a very detailed account of Christ’s last day Like Tenebrae, Good Friday creates a mood and like Maundy Thursday is one day, the last one for Christ. It maybe is the most emotional one from disbelief over the arrest, flogging, trial and eventual crucifixion in a quickly moving Friday to one of horror, anger and reflection.

Ash Wednesday came with a cold steady rain that seemed to fit the mood of the day. “Almighty God, you have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Savior.” The bulletin for the service is here.|For such as night we had a good crowd at 21. People appreciated being there. Certainly one highlight was Nancy’s solo on “The Glory of These Forty Days. ” The words are attributed to Pope Gregory in the 6th century. “The glory of these forty days We celebrate with songs of praise; For Christ, by Whom all things were made, Himself has fasted and has prayed.” While we remember our sins and misdoings, the mood is not dwelling on the past but on improving the future

We had a small crowd at 16 for Shrove Tuesday with several families traveling. But Dave’s pancakes and Nancy’s sausage were yummy. The intimacy actually helped the conversation in being able to gather in one room. We all ate more than we should but we did what we should in remembering the medieval custom of using up all of the eggs, cream and fat in the house before the Lenten fast began the following day. The day was lovely in the afternoon which was captured on film.

First Lent 2012 featured a new adult education on God and human suffering as well as the chanting of the Great Litany that goes back to the beginning of the Church of England.Thanks to Paige Martindale and Brad Volland for their help in getting the Great Litany together. We had a number of guests in both Adult Ed and 11am

We had about 30 at the annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper (Feb. 21, 2012) and 23 at Ash Wednesday the next night in 2012. Thanks to Dave Fannon, Johnny Davis, Bill Wick, Nancy Long, Barbara Segar, Cookie Davis and many others for their help on Tuesday. Also, thanks to Helmut for his Red Lenten Cross that we have enjoyed for the second year in a row beginning on Ash Wed. Weather cooperated for some interesting photography.

Pictures of Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and the first Sunday in Lent