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Presbyterian ‘Connection’ March 2019
Ash Wednesday and Lent
The Christian year is marked by a rhythm and sequence of special days and seasons centering on
the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The major seasons include Advent, Epiphany,
Lent, and Easter. Following these major seasons and days, the season of Pentecost focuses on the
gift of the Holy Spirit and the ongoing presence and work of Jesus Christ in the church. Several
periods of the year, called Ordinary Time, also provide reflection on the teachings of Jesus
Christ, God’s mighty acts throughout history, and our life of faith and discipleship. Many of these
major seasons of the liturgical year include significant days related to the season. Christmas Eve,
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter morning, and the Day of Pentecost are perhaps the most
well known. Other days include such occasions as the Baptism of Jesus, the Ascension of Jesus,
or Christ the King (Reign of Christ) Sunday. Ash Wednesday is another of those significant
liturgical days in the church year. Ash Wednesday as experienced today initiates the season of
Lent. The season of Lent has origins in the early centuries of the church. By the time the Council
of Nicea met in 325 CE, Lent was observed as a period of forty days (not including Sundays)
immediately preceding Easter. The forty-day period recalled Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness
following his baptism. Lent was a time of repentance, spiritual discipline, and preparation for
baptism at Easter. Several centuries later, when the practice of Easter baptism was no longer
normative in the church, Lent became less focused on preparation for baptism and widely
observed for its focus on repentance, spiritual discipline, and preparation for the intensity of the
Holy Week and Easter journey. During the Middle Ages, Ash Wednesday became permanently
attached to the season of Lent in the liturgical life and practice of the Church.
Themes and Scripture Ash Wednesday is so named because of the liturgical act of imposing
ashes on the forehead. The symbolism of ashes has a long history in the Hebrew Scriptures and
in the early Christian literature. In the Bible, ashes are a common sign of mourning. Ashes reflect
penance—often in connection to wearing sack cloth. Ashes are also recognition of mortality.
Mortality In the second creation story of Genesis (Gen. 2:4b–25), God forms a human, Adam,
from dust and breathes into his nostrils the breath of life. From Adam, God makes woman, Eve
(Gen. 2:22). Later in the Eden story, Adam and Eve are reminded of their mortality by God, who
says, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19b).
Con’t on next pg.
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Con’t from previous pg.
Summary Ash Wednesday and Lent serve as invitation and journey. Ash Wednesday invites us into
reflection on our relationship with God. The themes of mortality and penance are powerful
reminders that in life and in death we belong to God. Receiving the imposition of ashes in the
shape of a cross on our foreheads reminds us, in the midst of our hectic, scattered, and anxious
lives, that God holds us in love now and forever. Lent is a season, then, in which we journey deeper
in relationship to our loving God. Lent is a season in which disciplined practices help us let go of
behaviors and attitudes that hinder our commitment to God in Jesus Christ while also encouraging
us to take on practices and postures that deepen our commitment as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Reflection on mortality, engaging in penance, and taking on intentional disciplines are not limited to
Ash Wednesday and Lent. Their regular occurrence as part of the rhythm of the liturgical is an
annual opportunity to reset, refocus, and recommit to our relationship with God through Jesus
Christ. May this Ash Wednesday and Lent be for you a holy season in which you journey even more
deeply into God’s love.
Endnote 1. Theology and Ministry Unit of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Book of Common Worship (Louisville, KY:
Westminster John Knox Press, 1993), 222.
Michael Waschevski serves as Associate Pastor of Programming and Pastoral Care at First Presbyterian Church of
Fort Worth, Texas and is an adjunct professor at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas.
Copyright © 2015 www.TheThoughtfulChristian.com. Permission given to the purchaser to copy this page for use in
class.
MARCH HAPPENINGS
- MARCH 1st - 2nd - PRESBYTERY MEETING IN CLARKESVILLE, AR.
- MARCH 6th - ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE WITH COMMUNION - 4:30 P.M.
- MARCH 10th THROUGH APRIL 14th - ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING
- MARCH 12 - PW&M MEETING AT 9:30 A.M. IN MEMORIAL HALL
- MARCH 31st - 5th SUNDAY SING AT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BULL
SHOALS. OPEN TO ALL CHURCHES AND GUESTS IN OUR AREA.
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Our Church Face Book page
https://www.facebook.com/presbyterian.shoals
Church phone # - 870-445-4622
Our church email address
Connection Online
If you would like to read the “Connection” newsletter
online, go to our website;
http://www.presbyterianchurchofbullshoals.com
Click on the ‘Info Center’ tab at the top, then on the
drop-down menu, click on “Presbyterian Connection”,
then choose the month of the newsletter you would
like to read. The most recent newsletter will be at the
top.
Coffee & Fellowship
Be sure to drop in for coffee, maybe a
Danish or cookies and wonderful fellowship
on Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in
Memorial Hall!
January Income - $
January Expenses - $
FIGURES NOT AVAILABLE YET
THURSDAYS, FROM 11:00 A.M. TO NOON IN
MEMORIAL HALL. MEN & WOMEN WELCOME.
CHURCH CHUCKLES
After the dedication of his baby brother in church, a four-year-
old boy sobbed all the way home in the backseat of the car. His
mom and dad asked him three times what was wrong, getting no
reply, only more sobbing.
Finally, the boy replied: The preacher said he wanted us to be
brought up in a Christian home, but I wanted to stay with you
guys!"
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WORSHIP IN MARCH
MARCH 3rd
2 Corinthians 3:12- 4:2 & Luke 9:28-43
COMMUNION
MARCH 10th
Romans 10:8-13 & Luke 4:1-13
POT LUCK FOLLOWS WORSHIP
MARCH 17TH
Philippians 3:17- 4:1 & Luke 13:31-35
BLESSING OF THE FOOD PANTRY
MARCH 24th
1 Corinthians 10:1-13 & Luke 13:1-9
MARCH 31st
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 & Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 MINUTE FOR MISSION
5th Sunday Sing at Presbyterian Church
6:00 p.m.
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CHURCH USHERS/GREETERS COMMUNION SERVERS
March 3 - Dr. Simons Dr. Simons
March 10 - Amy Johnson
March 17 - Sandy Erickson
March 24 - Sandy Erickson
March 31 - Sandy Erickson
PRAYER LIST FOR CONGREGATIONS, PRESBYTERY OF AR.- 2019
March 3 - Church Secretaries Holiday Island Presbyterian
March 10 - Second, Little Rock First, Yellville
March 17 - Directors of Children’s Prgms First, Mena
March 24 - First United, Fayetteville Lyon College, Batesville
March 31 - First, Harrison First, North Little Rock
PLEASE NOTIFY PAT ERLEWINE IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO SHOULD BE ON OUR PRAYER LIST
BIRTHDAYS
March April March 3 - Dick Sass April 19 - Norma Taylor March 10 - Allen Althof April 19 - Garrett Carpenter March 20 - Betty Perrin March 22 - Pat Erlewine March 28 - Betty Aaron March 30 - Jini Sass
ANNIVERSARIES
March 18 - Dr. Roger & Meg Simons No April Anniversaries
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LIBRARY LINES - MARCH 2019
The following fiction books have been donated to the library. They are located in the New
Book book case.
THE LOCKET and THE SUNFLOWER by Richard Paul Evans
A PORT IN THE STORM by Elizabeth Penney
THICKER THAN WATER by DeAnna Julie Dodson
SWEPT AWAY by Ruth Logan Herne
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS by Janice Thompson
SMOKE ON THE WATER by Beth Adams
NO TIME FOR TROUBLE by Olivia Newport
EARTHLY TREASURES by Annalisa Daughety
SHOO, FLY, SHOO! by Amy Lillard
WHEN THERE'S A WILL by Elizabeth Adams
MASON JAR MAYHEM by Tricia Goyer & Cara Putman
Faye Brackett, Librarian
PW&M MEETING RESUMES
PW&M meetings resume this month beginning Tuesday, March 12th at 9:30 a.m.
In Memorial Hall
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MISSION MINUTE
MARCH - 2019
One Great Hour of Sharing Gifts Help Increase Access to Nutritious Food and Farming
In a few hours, something is happening that many of us look forward to — yes, I’m talking about … lunch or brunch. A place to gather for fellowship, laughter, and maybe a few moments of quiet during those first few bites. Food is a good, good thing.
While we give thanks to God for our food, we need to recognize lack of nutritious food is experienced by many of our sisters and brothers at alarming rates. Creating an opportunity for all people to become farmers, gain access to agricultural land, or manage farms are each ways we can secure healthy food systems for all.
Urban communities of color continue to experience diminishing access to fresh and local food. This lack of access to healthy foods, and affordable food prices, also contributes to higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related illnesses. According to the USDA, 21 percent of black households and 19 percent of Latinx households face low or very low food security compared to 10 percent of white households.
Leah Penniman is co-founder and co-director of Soul Fire Farm—a partner of the Presbyterian Hunger Program in upstate New York. She says, “Approximately 85 percent of U.S. food is grown by Hispanic and Latinx people, but they only make up three percent of farm management. On the consumer side, people with dark skin are four times more likely to live in a neighborhood without a supermarket or farmer’s market.”
This pattern doesn’t have to continue. Presbyterians, through their gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing, support efforts toward giving everyone access to nutritious food by addressing the root causes of hunger.
Soul Fire Farm raises and sells organically grown vegetables and eggs and then sets prices based on the customers’ ability to pay. It is seeking to increase the number of
people of color who are farm owners and/or managers. More than 1,000 people attend training opportunities at the farm each year.
Census data show that in 1910, African Americans operated 14.5 percent of the 6.4 million farms. The most recent census revealed that African Americans owned just 1.4 percent of the U.S.’ 3.2 million farms. This is no accident. In 1999, in a historical settlement, a judge found that farmers had been systematically denied federal loans solely because they were black.
As people of faith, we can move toward a more just and sustainable food system in which people of color gain access to the land, credit, and training necessary for successful farming. With One Great Hour of Sharing gifts, Presbyterians can nurture a new generation of food growers.
By giving to One Great Hour of Sharing, our gifts help the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Self-Development of People, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to engage in ministries that are moving us outside the walls of our churches to help build a more just world.
We will be participating in the One Great Hour of Sharing offering starting March 10th thru April 14th. The donation envelopes will be located in the pews.
Submitted by the Mission Committee
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Till We Speak Again MARCH 2019
Question: I have noticed from time to time that instead of flowers in the entry area of the
Church, there are objects there; why?
Millie: Why not! No really...good question. Flowers are sure pretty, but for some occasions,
objects in a display, reach us in a different way. I asked Meg the logic behind the current
display. This is what she shared with me.
As we approach Lent and the Easter holiday, these objects were selected carefully. Each
one carries a special symbolic meaning in its own right. They were grouped together to
represent the whole holiday event and hopefully speak to us individually.
The Urn in the back of the grouping represents selflessness. The woman in the Bible could
have used it to wash Jesus’ feet before drying them with her hair. She gave a very expensive
and selfless gift out of love without a second thought of cost or personal status.
The candle is a representation of Jesus’ light of the world. He is the beacon of light and
hope in the darkness bringing us safely back home. We should always put him in the
forefront of our thoughts and lives.
The empty wine glass is a symbol of things yet to come. The last supper, the trial, and the
crucifixion, as Christ was willing to sacrifice himself for us to insure our life everlasting.
The fan is a bit more of a loose symbol, but how do you capture the breath of the Holy Spirit
as it enters our hearts and lives? This act is private and invisible to all except the one
touched and hopefully changed forever.
This display is designed to make you stop, look and think. By doing this, hopefully, it has
touched your heart. I do hope this has answered your question.
Millie
Thought for the Day: Take notice in the beauty of everyday
objects and take nothing for granted; it could all be gone in the blink of
an eye.
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MARCH PUZZLE
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RECIPE FOR MARCH
SWEET POTATO, CARROT & APPLE SOUP
2 TBS OLIVE OIL
1 LB. CARROTS, CHOPPED
1 MEDIUM SWEET POTATO, PEELED, CHOPPED
2 APPLES, PEELED, CHOPPED
1 MEDIUM ONION, CHOPPED
1 CLOVE GARLIC, CHOPPED
2 SPRIGS FRESH THYME
3 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH
SOUR CREAM (OPTIONAL)
HEAT OIL IN LARGE POT OVER MEDIUM HEAT.
ADD NEXT 6 INGREDIENTS; COOK UNTIL VEGETABLES ARE TENDER, 15 MINUTES,
STIRRING OCCASIONALLY.
ADD BROTH; COVER AND COOK UNTIL VEGETABLES ARE VERY SOFT, 20-30
MINUTES.
COOL MIXTURE SLIGHTLY; REMOVE THYME. IN BATCHES, TRANSFER MIXTURE TO
BLENDER; WITH LID FIRMLY PRESSED ON, PUREE.
RETURN PUREE TO POT.
SEASON TO TASTE WITH SALT AND PEPPER, REHEAT.
GARNISH WITH SOUR CREAM, IF DESIRED.
Submitted by Peni Lloyd
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THIS WE BELIEVE FOR MARCH
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
“John 16:33”
“We will be scripture-based to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and spiritually led to guide all people to be active doers of the Word”
Approved by Session on November 16, 2007
CHURCH STAFF
Pastor: Rev Cindy Saul, Clerk of Session: Vicky Bair, Church Treasurer: Meg Simons,
Church Secretary & Financial Secretary: Christi Partee
DEACONS
Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Class of 2021
Sandy Erickson Irene Bere Faye Brackett
Pat Erlewine Vacancy Vacancy
ELDERS
Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Class of 2021
Vicky Bair Meg Simons Steve Broskovak
Vacancy Peni Lloyd Vacancy
Presbyterian Church of Bull Shoals
P.O. Box 305
Bull Shoals, AR. 72619