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On Tuesday night, August 17, 1971, I attended my first major league baseball game. It was the Angels playing the Red Sox at Fenway. We sat in the right field bleachers behind the Red Sox bullpen. It was such a treat to see all of those players who I had collected as baseball cards playing live in front of me. It was also the night my cousin Adrian taught me how to keep score. It changed my life. Soon I would be creating score sheets on legal pads and then keep score of the games I watched on television. It made me so much more engaged in the game helping me follow the game and its strategy better. I still like keeping score. Ask our church’s softball manager, Aaron Nilson, how often I volunteer to “keep the book.”
Following the flow of Lent this year might take some scorekeeping—or at least some explanation. In Protestant churches, Epiphany ends with the Transfiguration of Christ, this is followed by Ash Wednesday which is the start of Lent. The gospel on the first Sunday in Lent is Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. The texts that follow vary but in generally follow Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, which ends on Palm Sunday. This follows the structure of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). In fact, they are called “synoptics,” which means “to see together,” because if you put them side by side you can see their common pattern. They all begin with Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, followed by the Transfiguration, leading to Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, ending with our Lord’s dying and rising.
Each of the three years of the lectionary are focused on one of the synoptic gospels. This year, Year B, we are following Mark. John’s Gospel which has a very different structure, is sprinkled in throughout each of the three years. Mark being the shortest of the three, gets supplemented the most by John. This means that this Sunday is the last Sunday we will have Mark as a gospel until Palm Sunday. The remainder of Lent this year, we will be journeying with John.
It is helpful to note that John and Mark have many themes in common, but they are so different in tone. For example, in both gospels Jesus is God’s unique son as declared by God. However, in Mark, Jesus is trying to keep his identity a secret. While in John, Jesus is very clear and open about who he is. In John, Jesus publicly declared “The Father and I are one.” (10:30). You would never read that—or anything like it—in Mark’s gospel.
So if I were keeping score of Lent this year, it would be like changing pitchers after the third inning, which means we are going to have a different selection of pitches that we will have thrown at us. And then it will change again, as Mark returns to close out the game.
What remains the same throughout this Lenten season and every Lent, is that the texts prepare us for the central week of the Christian faith, our Lord’s last week in Jerusalem. The texts invite us to consider what it means to pick up our cross and follow Jesus to the Cross. Might we open ourselves up to how God might help us grow through this Lenten journey, and what this means to each of us this year.
May God’s blessing be upon us all as we walk together to the Cross.
~ Pastor Todd
P.S. We still have about a dozen or so slots to fill for people to write short prayers in our Lenten devotionals. Please do not hesitate to sign up below.
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> SIGN UP HERE
To participate in this year's Lenten prayer practice, sign up via this form.
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to receive daily e-mails of the prayers during Lent
- to write a prayer based on a scripture passage
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THIS SUNDAY: February 25
"The Kingdom Mosaic: Life Together,"
What Does God Require of Us?, (Micah 6)
Our Nurture Faith team has another class planned for adult education. Plan to stay after the worship service this Sunday, February 25, for a session on Micah 6, led by Andrea Johnson. We will meet in Fellowship Hall and the session will be followed by lunch for all. Join us!
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SAVE THE DATE
Movie night!
Mark your calendars to join the Nurture Faith team on Saturday, March 9 at 7 pm for Movie Night in Fellowship Hall!
We will show the movie, The Straight Story, which is based on the true story of Alvin Straight’s 1994 journey across Iowa and Wisconsin on a lawn mower to visit his estranged brother who has suffered a stroke. (The movie is rated G so it is good for the whole family.) Plan to bring a favorite snack to share. Popcorn will be fresh and provided. Let’s spend some time together! Questions? Contact Deeann Puffert.
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23
12:00 pm Bible Reading
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24
9:00 am Community Breakfast
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25
10:00 am Sunday Worship (link to livestream)
11:30 am "The Kingdom Mosaic: Life Together," What Does God Require of
Us?, (Micah 6) led by Andrea Johnson, Fellowship Hall
12:15 pm Lunch for all
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29
12:00 pm Bible Study, Zoom link
Meeting ID: 861 0242 1704 • Passcode: 929248
7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal
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Calendar
A PDF of our church calendar for February can be viewed and/or downloaded here.
If you would like to add a meeting, event, or a time that you want to use a space at church, please let Cinda Madonna know and she will add it to the public calendar.
> Contact Cinda
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Craft Night next Friday
Join us next Friday, March 1, for an evening of craft-making or whatever project you want to work on. Bring your own projects and supplies and we’ll enjoy spending time together. Board games and puzzles are welcome too! Bring a snack to share, if you like. We'll be in Fellowship Hall, starting at 7:00 pm. All are welcome!
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YOU ARE INVITED
Festive Choir for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday
We are enlarging are regular choir to form a “Festive Choir” with limited rehearsal time! You are invited to join us — we will have four choir rehearsals during March, leading up to Holy Week. The rehearsals will happen in the Sanctuary on Thursdays at 7:00 pm on March 7, 14, 21, and 28. The choir will sing in the morning worship services on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. You are welcome; the more the merrier!
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Stewardship of our Space
We are back into full swing using our church building for joining together! As we make good use of our spaces, just a reminder that volunteers organizing events are responsible for setting up and taking down tables and chairs. When reserving a space for an event, reach out to Cinda Madonna and she can help with all the details. Thank you for your considerate use of our church!
~ Jo Portinga
on behalf of the Church Council
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Friday, March 1: Craft Night
Sunday, March 3: Israel Historical Presentation, led by Tom and Diney Ruebel
Thursday, March 7: "Festive Choir" rehearsal
Saturday, March 9: Movie Night, "The Straight Story"
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25
Greeter: Claire Scranton
Readers: Jane and Dawn Leach
Children's Message: Deeann Puffert
Sermon: Todd Johnson
Coffee Servers: Sara and Ryan Davis
Usher: Corbin Sheffels
Livestream: Axel Nelson
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THIS SUNDAY'S SCRIPTURE READINGS
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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
~ Philippians 4:6-7
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THANKSGIVINGS
We pray for our world with thanksgiving
- for those who welcome the presence of Christ into our world in the most unexpected places
- for those people who are advocates for preservation of God's creation, peace, equality, and justice in the world
- for those who protest for justice in their homeland and from afar, especially people from all over the world calling for restraint, even peace, in the Middle East
- for those who care for the sick, the infirmed, and the dying with love and compassion
- for those we support who live the gospel in very different contexts than ours
- for the efforts made by those to care for our neighbors who are housing insecure or food insecure
We pray for our church with thanksgiving
- for the gifts and opportunities our new Associate Pastor for Family, Youth, and Children Lauren St. Martin will bring to the ministry of our church. May God's guidance and blessing be upon us all in this season of transition.
- for the gift of being an intergenerational congregation
- for the efforts towards Christian formation in our church and forming every generation in the faith
- for the facilities we steward, and those who care for them
- for the skill and diligence of the workers who are repairing our dome and roof
- for the many visitors who continue to grace our church
- for those to whom we serve breakfast each Saturday morning
- for those who volunteer in our many ministries
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INTERCESSIONS
We intercede on behalf of the world
- for those who, hearing a call to repentance, redirect their lives toward God
- for those who endure constant threats of oppression and violence in their homeland
- for a diminishment of violence, especially gun violence around the world, and for those who grieve the senseless killing of loved ones
- for the many people whose needs are not being met because of reduced giving to humanitarian aid
- for lawmakers who struggle to complete the tasks before them and to do so with civility
- for those who feel alone, forgotten, or a burden: might they see God's unique imprint in themselves
- for those who grieve, both those who have died and those they see slipping away
- for peace in the Holy Land and the broader Middle East. May the innocent be protected from attacks, and may those trapped by war find the essentials to keep them alive.
- for all those around the world who work behind the scenes to broker peace
- for the health of our planet
- for civility in our country in this potentially divisive election year. Might peace, love and unity have the final say.
We intercede on behalf of our church
- for all those in our community who grieve the diminishment of friends and their abilities, who grieve the loss of partners, parents, and dear friends, and who grieve the absence of people they love
- that we might find ways we can be witnesses to God's work in our world that offer people faith, hope, and love in Christ
- for the family and friends of Karlene Johnson and Michael Collison who grieve their deaths
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for Verna and Doris in their ongoing health struggles. For Darryl and his move to a new facility. May we be a support and encouragement to them and all who care for them.
- for individuals, couples, and families who find themselves in a difficult season of life
- for discerning where and how God is moving in our church and our world, and how to respond
- for those in need outside our church doors, and resources for our church staff to respond effectively to their needs
- for our denomination and its leaders in churches, conferences, and the national office to have wisdom, compassion, and vision for the days at hand
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Happenings around the Covenant | |
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Evangelical Covenant Church
Weekly update on Covenant news, stories, and resources:
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Pacific Northwest Conference
“The Catch” newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Conference:
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Cascades Camp and Conference Center
> Best Decision You'll Ever Make
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Do you have an announcement to include in a future e-newsletter?
Send it to Sandy Nelson before Wednesday at 12 noon, the week you'd like it to appear.
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