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February 2020 Newsletter

Posted by ureche1 on March 12, 2020 at 12:00 AM

From the Pastor�??s desk: �??He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God�?� Micah 6:8, NRSV This passage from the prophet Micah is one of my favorites. It is one of the two or three passages from the Bible that if I were to be stranded on a desert island, I would want to have access to. As we begin, our entry into the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday on February 26 this passage speaks to me as I begin my journey through Lent, because it talks about doing and loving and walking. You might be saying to yourself, �??Yes, Pastor Dennis, it does say those things, but what does Micah have to do with Lent?�?� Excellent question I say and I hope to answer that question in the next couple of paragraphs. The Christian season of Lent is the forty days (not including Sundays) beginning with Ash Wednesday that lead up to Easter. In the early church, this period was given to fasting. The fashion in which one fasted varied from area to area. The website CERC gives us this brief history of the early �??rules�?� surrounding Lent. In Jerusalem, for instance, people fasted for 40 days, Monday through Friday, but not on Saturday or Sunday, thereby making Lent last for eight weeks. In Rome and in the West, people fasted for six weeks, Monday through Saturday, thereby making Lent last for six weeks. Eventually, the practice prevailed of fasting for six days a week over the course of six weeks, and Ash Wednesday was instituted to bring the number of fast days before Easter to 40. The rules of fasting varied. First, some areas of the Church abstained from all forms of meat and animal products, while others made exceptions for food like fish. For example, Pope St. Gregory (d. 604), writing to St. Augustine of Canterbury, issued the following rule: �??We abstain from flesh, meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese and eggs.�?� However, over the centuries the �??rules�?� for fasting have evolved until we have come up with ways to make the fasting easier. Some traditions now define that one�??s fasting take place on Wednesdays and Fridays. Others have declared that instead of fasting one should give something up for Lent, make a sacrifice if you will. For example, no chocolate, no soda, no Brussel Sprouts and so on. Sundays also became exempt from the period of sacrifice, meaning one could have or partake in whatever one was giving up on Sundays. So now that we have a better understanding of the history of Lent let me explain what I had in mind when I quoted Micah earlier. Micah says, �??He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God�?�. Micah is calling for us to do good in the world and to do that good with love and kindness and to do it alongside God. For me what Micah is calling us to do, especially during this season of Lent, is to do something we would not normally as part of our life do. My suggestion is for Lent this year add something to your life rather than take something away. Continued Add a prayer or a meditation to your daily routine. Write a note to someone you haven�??t written to in a while, volunteer somewhere. When you do something for forty days, it begins to be a habit and a part of your life that may carry on beyond the season of Lent and bring some good into the world. More good then will be gained by giving up chocolate for forty days. A couple of years ago for Lent I decided I was going to say good morning, good afternoon or just hello to as many strangers as I could each day. In the beginning, this was an activity that felt foreign and strange, hard to do. I also got some very strange looks from people, but I also got a few smiles and good mornings back at me. This activity that I added to my life for Lent a few years ago has now become a regular part of my life. Yes, I still get those strange looks from time-to-time but that doesn�??t stop me from continuing to do it. My hope is that I have touched someone when I have done this. Maybe it was someone that was having a bad day and my good morning was the first good thing that happened in their life that day. I haven�??t decided yet what I will add to my life this year for Lent, I will come up with something and I know that I will feel better for having added something of value to my life rather than by giving up something. I also know that by adding something to my life I am doing, according to Micah, what the Lord requires of me. My challenge to you during this season of Lent is to add something to your life and carry out what the Lord requires of you. Pastor Dennis Acts -Catching up with the Spirit Matthew L. Skinner Lenten Study Wednesdays, March 4- April 8 9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Soup Supper at 5: 45 p.m. Choir at 7:00 p.m. If you would like to order a copy of the book for the study, please let Pastor Dennis know before Wednesday, February 12. ************ Revised Common Lectionary Readings for February February 2 Micah 6:1-8 Psalm 15 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Matthew 5:1-12 February 9 Isaiah 58:1-9a Psalm 112:1-9 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 Matthew 5:13-20 February 16 Deut 30:15-20 Psalm 119:1-8 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Matthew 5:21-37 February 23 Exodus 24:12-18 Psalm 2 2 Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9 Please pray for these people on their designated day in February 1) Norma Friesen 2) Shirley Friesen 3) Todd and Janell Harman-Max, Rachel 4) Matt, Brenna Harris Suttyn, Kru, Mac 5) Gretchen Kimble 6) Kendall, Becky, Kristen, Tanner 7) Phyllis Knackstedt

Vicki Lindenberger 9) Mike and Dorothy Luty 10) Mike and Kimba McCormick 11) Randy and Darcel Miles, Aisjha 12) Ellen Neufeld 13) Ray and Jeanne Osborn 14) Charlie and Carolyn Pauls 15) Lenore Postier 16) Loren and Denise Postier 17) Elva Rump 18) Devin and Jessica Schierling Karson, Kash, Kella 19) Gene and Karen Schierling 20) Roy and Shivawn Schierling 21) Dennis and Crystal Schroeder 22) Jerry and Ruth Sisson 23) Cassie Spears, Levi, Hailey 24) James and Sophia Stephens 25) Freddi Stowe 26) Jesse and Jessica Stucky, Haley 27) Allen Thiessen 28) Merle and Karen Thiessen- Virginia Bosworth, Dean Brungardt, Steve and Theresa Buller, Terry and Karen Fay, William Forehand, Vicki and Rusty Johnson, Gretchen Kimble, Brianna Krull, Bill Maurer Sr. Danny Parr, Kairos Prison Ministry, Gene and Karen Schierling, Jim and Sophia Stephens, Jace Ward, Nort and Nancy Warner, Peggy Watts, Norma Friesen�??s grand and great grandchildren, Kent Smith, *********** Berneta Jung Family and Friends Dilbert Stucky Family and Friends Helen Neufeld Family and Friends Meribeth Neufeld Family and Friends, Clark Joseph Myers Haslanger Family and Friends *********** February Birthdays 1 Karson Michael Schierling 5 Diana Rump James Stephens 11 Suttyn Grace Harris 15 David Neufeld 21 Gene Ely February Anniversaries 12 Mike & Dorothy Luty 13 Roy and Shivawn Schierling 18 Tim and Terri Bornholdt 24 Randy and Darcel Miles Todd & Janell Harman Communion Sunday, February 2 ************ Guest Speaker Heidi Hawkinson Penny Sunday, February 2 ************ Casual Sunday February 2 Everyone is invited to wear work clothes to church and to stay after to help with Ground Hog Dinner preparations ************ Inman Museum Soup Lunch Sunday, February 2 Community Building, Lambert Park Free Will Donations appreciated Serving a variety of soups and desserts St. Peter�??s UCC 78th Annual Ground Hog Dinner Monday, February 3, 2020 All you can eat meal served family style: Sausage, Sauerkraut, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Corn, Rolls, Applesauce, and Pie Serving times: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Cost: $11.00 per adult, $5.00 for children (ages 5 thru 12) and 4 and under are free ************* Women�??s Fellowship Kitchen Clean Up Day Thursday, February 6 9:00 a.m. No regular meeting ************* Men�??s Fellowship will meet for breakfast Saturday, February 8, 7:00 a.m. Inman Harvest Café ********** Guest Speaker Sunday, February 9 Jane Heide ************* BOCE will meet Sunday, February 9 following Morning Worship ************* Valentines Day Friday, February 14 ************** Youth Group at St. Peters Sunday, February 16, 4:00 p.m. ********** Presidents Day Monday, February 17 ************ American Red Cross Blood Drive Friday, February 21 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Call 1 800-733-2767 or go to Redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment *********** Ash Wednesday February 26 ************* United Church of Christ National Youth Event July 22-25, 2020 Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana Open to young people who have completed grade 6 thru 12 grade. If interesedt please let Pastor Dennis know. *********** Mark your calendars now St. Peter�??s will host Inman VBS July 12-16 Volunteers are needed! *********** Church Council�??3 year term Elders Deacon Trustees_________ Devin Schierling�??2021 Ruth Sisson�??Financial Sec.�??2021 Randy Miles�??2021 Ellen Neufeld�??2022 Jeanne Osborn�??Memorial�??2022 Roy Schierling�??2022 Dan Binder�??2023 Matt Harris�??Treasurer�??2023 Cody Bornholdt�??2023 Nominating Committee�??2021�??Tim Bornholdt, Phyllis Armstrong, Tim Fay Worship Team -2 year term Hospitality Team- 2 year term Allen Thiessen 2020 Karen Thiessen 2020 Rosetta Bartels 2020 Jerry Sisson 2020 Kara Ayers 2020 Carmalee Winebrinner 2021 Fay Binder 2021 Connie Achilles 2021 Ashley Bornholdt 2021 Janell Harman 2021 Ellen Neufeld-stays on Social Ministry Team -2 year term Congregational Life Team-2 year term Shirley Friesen 2020 Shivawn Schierling 2020 Beverly Castleberry 2020 Dorothy Luty 2020 Verla Thomason 2020 Cindy Fay 2021 Diane Miller 2021 Merle Thiessen 2021 Carmaleee Winebrinner 2021 Open _______________________________ Board of Christian Education-2 year term Auditing Committee Brenna Harris 2019 Church, BOCE, Men�??s Fellowship and Women�??s Fay Binder 2019 Fellowship, Memorial Treasurer Karen Schierling 2020 Diane Miller 2021 Rachel Harman 2020 Terri Bornholdt 2021 Freddie Stowe 2020 Terri Bornholdt 2021 Diane Miller 2021 Diane Bartels 2021 Pastor Relations Committee Historian Rosetta Bartels Adolyn Bartels Todd Harman Open _______________________________ (Will be filled before April Congregational Meeting) St Peter�??s United Church of Christ 107 North Pine, P.O. Box 506 Inman, Kansas 67546 620-585-2627 Fax 620-585-2628 Parsonage 620-585-2670 Website: stpetersuccinman.org.webs.com Church �[email protected] Pastor Dennis Ureche�[email protected] RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED February 2020 CHURCH STAFF: Rev. Dennis Ureche, Pastor Ellen Neufeld, Organist Beverly Castleberry, Church Secretary Worship Schedule Sept. thru May: Sunday School 9:30 AM Morning Worship 10:30 AM June thru August: No Sunday School Morning Worship 9:30 AM Followed by Brunch

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