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