We are approaching a time in our liturgical calendar that is going to prepare us for that wonderful day of resurrection we will celebrate at Easter!
My friends, Lent begins on March 1st! We of course will begin that Wednesday evening with the distribution of ashes. Our ashes are a sign and symbol of who and whose we are. We are Christians that embrace the words, “Remember you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”
As we journey through Lent together, we will be celebrating every Wednesday evening with a light fare and an abbreviated worship service. I am going to be preaching a first person sermon for every one of these services. This means I will become the person I am preaching about. So, gather up friends and family and come out to worship with us!
Allow me now to bring you up to speed on a committed and great group of young people right here at Emmanuel UCC. That is this year’s confirmation class. We have been studying the mission statement of our church, and the class has explored writing their own mission statement. We are now tracing the history of the Bible, which is no small feat, through all of this, our class has shown interest and excitement in their studies. What great Emmanuel UCC members they are already, and will be ready to share their intelligence and energy with our church.