|
From
the
Pastor's Pen
?
March 2010
Greetings in the
name of our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Our Lenten Journey continues through March, allowing us
to theologically experience baptismal reflections each Sunday and
physically to encounter and touch stones on Wednesday evenings. It
will be interesting how you bring the two together. Most of us have
challenges that obstruct and interfere with a “perfect” living out
of our baptismal covenant. And that makes it even more freeing to
lay our stones at the foot of the cross. I hope you include these
two weekly opportunities for worship as part of your Lenten journey.
Elsewhere in this newsletter, check out the
latest update from our seminarian, James Sells. He and Becky have
received good news as they have been assigned to Region 4 for their
first calls. They requested Region 4, which covers the Midwest from
Nebraska to Texas. Keep them in your prayers as they complete their
academic preparations for ministry and plan their June wedding. May
God truly bless and guide them through these next few months.
As a congregation of the Panhandle Conference, we at
Gloria Dei join with our sister congregations in the area to serve
as hosts of the 2010 NTNL Synod Assembly in Amarillo, April 23-25.
With that, your help is needed for two things: first, to prepare 20
dozen cookies (as a congregation) that will be shared in the
Assembly hospitality area; and second, to supply what you can to
help fill a container that our Synod will send to Sierra Leon.
On the cookies – Gloria Dei has committed to make all
of our cookies “diabetic” friendly. To help you, several recipes
will be available through Elayne for you use in preparing cookies.
Or, you can easily find recipes on the internet to use. Just let us
know how many cookies you will do the week of April 19. And, about
the container for Sierra Leone – one-half of the container will
contain dehydrated foods from Lubbock’s own Breedlove group. What a
gift from them! The other half will be filled by individuals and
congregations throughout our Synod to meet the specific needs
identified on the list included in this newsletter (medical supplies
and equipment; school needs; basic hand tools; and camping gear).
The final need is cash to pay the shipping costs for all this
wonderful stuff to get to Sierra Leone. If you choose to help with
the shipping, your check may be given through Gloria Dei earmarked
as Sierra Leone shipping, or you can send your check directly to the
Synod office.
One other note about the Synod Assembly – you may
register as a visitor for the assembly. Visitors are especially
encouraged on Saturday, April 24, when several breakout sessions
will be offered. One special guest at this Assembly will be our
Sierra Leone “Pastor in Residence,” Kate Warn. More specifics about
the assembly will be on our bulletin board in mid-March.
My brothers and sisters, we have many ways to CELEBRATE
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to BUILD a nurturing community
of faith and service, and to WITNESS that faith in our daily life.
May we be faithful disciples of our crucified and risen Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ.
In His love,
VPastor
Craig
|