Dear members and friends,

As we enter February our calendars are filling up with winter activities. Perhaps most pressing at the moment is the fact that we are looking for ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. For couples this is a big holiday as they prepare to remember and share an evening when romance and love is in the air.

This year February also brings us into the season of Lent. The Lenten season brings to us many activities as we observe a time of reflection, penitence and preparation. We have planned additional church services both during the day and at night and I hope you’ll put these opportunities for worship and fellowship on your calendar.

We begin with Shrove Tuesday arriving on February 16. Judy and I are again looking forward to hosting Pastor’s Pancakes as we gather on the eve of the Lenten season. Please join us at 6:30 PM for a pancake feast as we enjoy the frivolity of the night and some good pancakes as well. Martha Harken will have a craft activity available for the children and Todd will entertain us with some Jazz music from the piano. See you there.

The very next day, Wednesday, February 17, we will begin our Lenten season with Ash Wednesday and the imposition of ashes. There will be two services held that day. The services are identical, simply offered at 12:00 PM and again at 7:00 PM. Ash Wednesday begins our reflection upon the meaning of our baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection and the sign of ashes suggests our human mortality and frailty.

The following Wednesdays (February 24, March 3, 10, 17 and 24) will offer us the opportunity to gather for fellowship (with supper provided) before worship at 6:15 PM and then worship at 7:00 PM. Of all the special services we observe during the year, these Wednesday night Lenten services are some of my favorite as we gather in the dim light of the church for evening prayer. We have traditionally used the Vespers Service from our Lutheran Book of Worship, but this year we will be using a new service. The service we will use is “Holden Evening Prayer” written by Marty Haugen. As I am learning this service, I am moved by the beauty of the liturgy and I know you will be touched by its reverence.

We will once again be participating with four other downtown churches to sponsor a Lenten Ecumenical Worship Service and lunch on each of these Wednesdays during Lent. As you may recall, the five churches take turns hosting the worship service and the lunch, while the clergy from these churches share the preaching responsibilities. I always enjoy these services as they promote fellowship between our various churches and

they offer us the opportunity to gather during the day for worship. The services begin at 12:30 PM, with a lunch following. The cost for lunch is $5.00. St. John’s will host the first service on February 24, and First Baptist will host the second service on March 3. The other dates and locations will be posted as they are confirmed. I encourage you to join us for these times of Lenten worship and reflection as we journey towards the cross of Christ.

I know this is quite a bit to place on your calendar, so take this Herald to your calendar right now and add these events to the activities you are planning to attend. I assure you, each and every one of them will be morsels of nourishment and encouragement in your life.

In closing, I pray God’s blessings and peace for each of us as grow in our faith and understanding that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.

Pastor Butler +