Dear disciples of Jesus at American Lutheran,

If I ever lose my phone I'd be lost myself! I don't just use it to make calls, but also to text, to check my e-mails and Facebook, and most importantly where to be when since it's my only calendar. Yet as important as my phone is to me, it's also a distraction. I have a habit of checking it more often than I'd like. As much as it keeps me connected to the world around me, it also has the potential to disconnect me from my deepest self.

As we begin the six-week journey of Lent together this month, I invite you to engage in the following spiritual practices personally and with your community of faith:

• Regular worship on Sunday mornings at 10am and Wednesday evenings at 7:30pm
• Adult learning on Sunday mornings after worship and Wednesday evenings over soup from 6-7:20pm using the resource "Claimed, Gathered and Sent" to kick off a year of conversation on the mission and purpose of our church.
• Service through donations for Lutheran World Relief's "Baskets of Promise" personal care kits.
• Prayer and Meditation using the booklets with daily Scripture readings, reflections and prayers available for your devotions at home.
• Fasting from unhealthy food and drink in order to be good stewards of our bodies, as well as engaging in the ancient spiritual discipline of giving up something to reflect on Jesus' giving up his life for us.

I pray that this season of Lent may be a rich time of spiritual renewal for us all. May these practices not be something rigid, or good works to earn God's love. Rather may they open our hearts to better receive the abundant grace we are given through Christ's death and resurrection!

Lenten blessings,

Pastor Gretchen