February is the
month when people traditionally give Valentines to each other and show their
affection and love in small and sometimes large ways. For pastors, the focus in February is usually
Lent or the preparation for the Lenten season.
This year Lent begins at the beginning of February and this newsletter is filled with reminders of Lenten activities in which you
are invited and encouraged to participate.
So, I decided to give you a Valentine this
month instead of writing yet another Lenten article. Please accept this Valentine with my love and blessings remembering that it is God who has
blessed all of us with ultimate and unending love in our Savior, Jesus
Christ. And
Happy Valentine’s Day!
God’s Two Boxes
I have in
my hands two boxes,
Which God
gave me to hold,
God said,
“Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all
your joys in the gold.”
I heeded
God’s words and in the two boxes
Both my joys and sorrows I stored.
But though the gold
became heavier each day,
The black
was as light as before.
With
curiosity, I opened the black ,
I wanted to
find out why,
And I saw, in
the base of the box, a hole,
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.
I showed
the hole to God, and mused,
“I wonder
where my sorrows could be!”
God smiled
a gentle smile and said,
“My child,
they’re all here with me.”
I asked God
why He gave me the boxes,
Why the
gold and the black with the hole?
“My child,
the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is
for you to let go.”
Blessings to you in February,
Wanda
Teaching
the Word...
FEBRUARY LECTIONARY TEXTS
Here
are the Lectionary texts for the month of February. Rev. Mello’s
preaching texts are in Bold print. You are invited to
read the texts ahead of each Sunday service as you prepare to hear God’s
word. These texts are also the texts
that are studied in our Wednesday morning Bible Study
to which everyone is invited.
February
3, 2008
Psalm
2
WORSHIP READERS NEEDED…
We are in need of our worship readers for the month of March and April. If you are interested in serving as a worship reader please sign up on the sheets in the Social Hall or speak to Rev. Mello. May you be blessed as you read God’s word in worship.
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY
Everyone is invited to join us at 9:30 AM each Wednesday in the
library as we study the scripture texts for Sunday’s service.
ASH WEDNESDAY WORSHIP
We will hold our annual Ash Wednesday worship service that includes the dispensation of ashes and Holy Communion, on Wednesday, February 6, 2008, at 7:00 PM in the sanctuary. Everyone is invited to join us as we begin our Lenten season in worship.
LENTEN SOUP AND PRAYER
This year we will be holding our annual Lenten Soup Suppers beginning Tuesday, February 12 and continuing each Tuesday until March 11. You are invited to sign up to bring a kettle of soup on one or more of the weeks to share with the group. If you don’t want to be a soup maker, please bring something to add to the meal such as bread, muffins, veggies, cookies, brownies, etc. Drinks will be provided by the Diaconate. Our meal will begin at 6:00 PM. There will be a sign-up sheet for the soup makers in the Social Hall beginning, Sunday, January 20. Please look for it if you are planning on making soup for our suppers.
This year, instead of a formal study, we will gather in the lounge after the meal at 7:00 PM for a time of reflection, hymn singing, and formal prayer. Each week we will spend time in prayer with a specific purpose. The first week we will pray for the world and all of creation. The second week we will focus our prayers on the nations of the world. The third week we will pray for our nation, its leaders, and people. The fourth week we will spend time in prayer for Arvin and our surrounding community. And the fifth week we will pray for our own congregation.
We hope that many of you will consider attending this special time of prayer and fellowship during our Lenten Season.
Touching the
World...
Any or all of the items on the
list that follows will be welcome additions to our food pantry. Your gifts to replenish the food pantry are greatly appreciated.
Please remember, if you can’t get out to
purchase any of the things on the list, cash donations are also accepted so
that the necessary items may be purchased.
Please DO NOT bring PREVIOUSLY OPENED SPICES OR
FOOD ITEMS! We cannot give those out to people as we don’t know their safety.
Our pantry is well stocked at the moment so we are not in need of food donations at
this time. We will let you know when
your food gifts are needed. Thanks!
You
are invited to give a gift for mission to our
Assistance Fund. Thanks so much for your
continued support of this fund! Your
gifts to this fund do indeed help those in our community who are in need!
Our next monthly Church Cabinet meeting will be on Saturday, February 9, 2008 at 9:00 AM in the social hall. If you are a member of the Church Cabinet and plan on attending this breakfast meeting, please RSVP Judy Chase as soon as possible.
WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP NEWS
The Women’s
Fellowship would like to remind you to continue to save
REMEMBER YOU
CAN FIND ALL OF OUR NEWS ON OUR WEBSITE:
www.arvinucc.org
Check it out!
Church
Family News…
As our world remains in a time of war, we ask that you continue to
remember in your prayers all of our young people serving our country all over
the world. Especially pray for Jason
Brand, John & David Phillips, Isaac Philips, and Josh Francis.
Please keep our homebound, and nursing home members in your thoughts and
prayers. They are Mildred Holbert in the nursing home; and Lucille Barkley at home.
Also, please remember Ardella
Wernli who is staying with her son and
daughter-in-law, Robert and Dana Wernli, in
Please keep the Mellos
in your prayers as they await the decision regarding Rodger’s court case to
keep his job.
Also, please remember the Mellos
in your prayers as they travel to
Rev. Mello will be out of the office from
February 13-18. The Rev. Dr. Bruce Jones
will be our guest worship leader and preacher on February 17.
A SMILE FOR YOU!
Rev. Mello recently shared this story with
the Tuesday Ladies who suggested that she share it with the rest of you. So, enjoy this little story. It is guaranteed to make you smile!
The local news station was interviewing an 80
year-old lady because she had just gotten married for the fourth time. The interviewer asked her questions about her
life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her
new husband.
“He’s a funeral director,” she answered.
The interviewer thought that was interesting
so he asked her if she wouldn’t mind telling him a little about her first three
husbands and what they did for a living.
She paused for a few moments, needing time to
reflect on all those years. After a
short time, a smile came across her face and she answered proudly, explaining
that she had first been married to a banker in her early 20’s, then a circus
ringmaster when in her 40’s, later on a preacher when in her 60’s, and now in
her 80’s, a funeral director.
The interviewer looked at her, quite
astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.
She smiled and explained, “I married one for
the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go!”
AND NOW FOR A MORE SERIOUS THOUGHT…
LENT
Lent is a time to take the time
To let the power of our faith story take hold of us,
A time to let the events get up and walk around in
us,
A time to intensify our living unto Christ,
A time to hover over the thoughts of our hearts,
A time to place our feet in the streets of
A time to touch His robe and feel the healing surge
through us,
A time to ponder and a time to wonder…
Lent is a time to allow a fresh new taste of God!
From: Kneeling In Jerusalem
by: Ann Weems