Grace Lutheran Church & Preschool
Newsletter - March 2022
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17880 E. Covina Blvd. | Covina, CA 91722
Church Office (626) 332-4536 | Preschool (626) 967-5855
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Church Office Hours | Monday & Thursdays | 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Email: Office@GraceCovina.org
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We've now returned to the Sanctuary for Worship! Join us for a blended, in-person service Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
We are streaming Sunday Worship on our Facebook page. If you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19, or have had contact recently with anyone with COVID-19, we ask that you worship safely with us online.
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Greetings Grace Family,
As we turn our calendars from February to March we also begin the season of Lent. It is one of my favorite seasons of the Church year, and not because I get to wear my purple stole for the next 7 weeks. It is the time when we are encouraged to follow Jesus on His journey to the cross and it starts with the reminder that we were formed from the dust of the earth and to the earth we will eventually return.
Those words spoken on Ash Wednesday remind us of our mortality, but also that in addition to God forming Adam and Eve from the dust God also breathed His Spirit in to us forever connecting us to our Maker. It is also a reminder that our time here on earth is temporary, but at the end of this journey we will return to the Source of Life for all eternity thanks to the event that comes at the end of our Lenten journey.
Throughout the season we are invited to be intentional in our self-examination. There are a plethora of spiritual disciplines that we can use in order to take an inventory of our lives and our faith. Of course, the most common of these disciplines is the removal of something in our life. It could be a certain type of food, or social media, a favorite eating spot, television, or anything else we become too dependent on. The point of this discipline is multi-layered, but ultimately reminds us on our dependence on God when we feel the sense of deprivation from whatever it is that was given up.
However, there are other disciplines like daily prayers of thanksgiving, or confession. Meditating on scripture, a daily Psalm reading, or spending time in silence to be more attentive to what God is saying to us (we are generally much better at talking than listening, especially to God!). Service to others, or donating to a ministry or charity in honor of the season are ways for us to ‘love our neighbors’ which was one of Jesus’ more familiar commands. Over the last several years I have suggested adding something to your life of faith rather than the deprivation partly because after 50 days of doing something it is likely to become a permanent part of your spiritual life.
One of the reasons I love the season of Lent is its intentionality. Let’s face it, we are creatures of habit and if we are always doing the same thing over and over life can become a bit stale, and that’s true of our faith and relationship with Jesus. Changing things up makes us more aware and gets us out of our routine. It can be uncomfortable, but we are much more likely to grow when we stretch ourselves or when we are a bit uncomfortable. And who among us has perfect faith? God is always ‘working’ on us. This is the process called sanctification, becoming more like Christ. Is that not something we would all say as Christians we strive for?
Sisters and Brothers, I urge you to take advantage of this season of intentionality that has been a part of Christianity for a very long time! You have nothing to lose (no pun intended) and everything to gain.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Steve
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A Little About Lent
From the ELCA Worship Blog
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Definition
Lent is the forty-day season (excluding Sundays) of penitence and preparation for the Three Days of Holy Week and Easter.
A Very Brief History
The term “Lent” originally comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “lencten” which means “spring.” This is the time, in the Northern Hemisphere, when the days are lengthening. The season began as period of fasting leading up to the Vigil of Easter. Catechumens, those preparing for baptism at Easter, would fast and spend days in intense preparation. For those that were already baptized, Lent was a period to be renewed in their faith by studying the Bible, the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.
Although it was originally only a two-day period of preparation, Lent became a three-week preparatory period in the middle of the fourth century and then this was further expanded into six-weeks, or forty days. By the end of the fifth century, there was a desire to exclude Sundays from Lent since Sundays are always celebrated as feasts of the Resurrection. Thus Lent begins not on Sunday, but on Ash Wednesday.
The current practice of forty days of Lent recall Jesus’ forty-day fast in the wilderness after his Baptism (Matthew 4:2, Luke 4:1-2) as well as Moses’ forty-day fast on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:28).
A Few Notes on Current Practice
- The appointed liturgical color for Lent is purple because purple has long been associated with royalty. In this case, Christ reigns from a cross.
- Currently, the ancient understanding of Lent as both a time for baptismal preparation and baptismal renewal is being rediscovered in Lutheran rites and practice. Many congregations hold mid-week services during Lent and a baptismal renewal theme is particularly appropriate for these.
- Many congregations refrain from speaking or singing the word “alleluia” during Lent. “Burying” the alleluia occurs at the conclusion of worship on Transfiguration Sunday and it is restored at either the Vigil of Easter or Easter Sunday. A Lenten acclamation replaces the alleluia verse in preparation for hearing the Gospel (See ELW pg. 103 for one example).
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Report of the Grace-Covina Church Council |
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Action Items for February 8, 2022
- Acceptance Sandy Streeter’s resignation as Financial Secretary
- Appointment of Keith McHugh as Financial Secretary for the remainder of Sandy Streeter’s term.
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Ken Linden has completed all the 2021 contribution statements. They, along with 2022 envelopes, are available in the Narthex. (Note: all contribution statements for 2021 have been mailed. If you have any questions about a statement, please call the church office or email office@gracecovina.org).
- A printer was donated for the use of the Financial Secretary. It is housed in Room 6.
- Evaluations for paid staff (Amber Brown, Jeff Saltonstall, and Samantha Henderson) have been completed.
- Brian Akey is working on improving the lighting in the parking lot. He has replaced the light bulbs on the west side of the Pre-School and in the breezeway.
- Home Communion resumes this month.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda Noriega
Council President
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March 6, 2022
1st Sunday in Lent
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Joshua 5:9-12
Psalm 32
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
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March 13, 2022
2nd Sunday in Lent
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Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Psalm 27
Philippians 3:17--4:1
Luke 13:31-35
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March 20, 2022
3rd Sunday in Lent
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Isaiah 55:1-9
Psalm 63:1-8
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9
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March 27. 2022
4th Sunday in Lent
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Joshua 5:9-12
Psalm 32
2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
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Chase Entrikin | March 1
Steven Turner | March 1
Randy Noriega | March 3
Lisa Entrikin | March 6
Sandra Streeter | March 6
Charlene Bergerson | March 7
Denise Thomas | March 8
Blake Yarber | March 9
Heather Bergerson | March 9
Pastor Ed McGee | March 11
Tony Encabo | March 24
Ken Linden | March 26
Carol Davisson | March 28
Ashley Hernandez | March 28
Donald Jacobs | March 29
Steve Adzovich | March 31
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Michael & Patty Van Raalte
March 18
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Let us know
- If we don’t have your birthday or anniversary listed
- If you have a special announcement
- If someone in your family is sick or in the hospital
- If you move or change your telephone number
- If you feel the church can assist you in any way
- If you would like a paper copy of the newsletter mailed to you
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The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry – Psalm 34:15
Please pray for those with medical needs, including: Kurt & Debbie VonRice, Mary Spradley, Terry Fisher, Bud Peterson, Carolyn Wengel, Nolan, Herb Westerfield, Patrick Putnam, Noa Buhler, John, Penny Batsford, Sharon Kost, Kameren Putnam, Rose Marie Quesada, Roger Melendrez, Cindy Skolaski, Deanna Kellogg, Shannon Troop, Jaxon Turner, Lorraina Ruiz, Art James, Beverly Smith, Dakota Garske, Fern Hastings, Jan Sieber, Robert Boomsma, Robert Larsen, Trina Clay, Walter Hoke, Cody Umpleby, Connie Brown, the Davidson Family, Jamie Wilcots, Joan & Lee Juneau, Kari Watson, Ken Gillingham, Mike Spangler, Pam Elparin, Ed McGee, Sarah Encabo, and victims of COVID-19.
Please pray for others in need of prayer, including: family and Friends of Marie Dabbs, the family of Kevin Bergerson, Karen Putnam and family, Katie and family, Tricia Henderson, Rocio Orozco, and our Grace neighbors.
Please pray for the men and women currently serving in the military, who are bravely protecting us and our country, including: Andrew Ranabarger, Cole Elliot (Marine Corps), Nathaniel Morgan (Army), and Christian Van Allen.
Please pray for all victims of natural disasters.
Please pray for those who are being faced with grief, and all who know violence and hate.
Please pray for our Grace Lutheran Church Congregation and partners in ministry.
Please pray for the teachers and children of our preschool and infant care program, and for the teachers and students of Ben Lomond Elementary School, our school districts, and all schools, that they and their families will be safe.
Please pray for hospital staff, all medical personnel and first responders, those in essential services, and the leaders of our world, state, country, and local governments.
Please pray for the ACTION Food Pantry, the clients that they serve, and all those in need.
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President | Brenda Noriega
Vice President | Johna Stienstra
Secretary | Diana Alley
Treasurer | Robert Ordonez
Members-at-Large
Cindy Skolaski | Dave Brown | Nancy Adzovich | Judy McGee
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STAY CONNECTED TO GRACE-COVINA |
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www.gracecovina.org | office@gracecovina.org | (626) 332 - 4536 |
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