Since the
earliest days of Christianity God’s people have celebrated the season of Lent.
One way in which this season is
celebrated is through the Rite of Ashes. While traditionally done on Ash
Wednesday, the ashes, made from the burning of palm fronds, are applied to the
forehead in the sign of the cross as a reminder of our mortality, as a sign of
repentance, and a public expression of our trust in the work of Jesus on the
cross.
The season of Lent consists of the forty
days that lead up to Easter, during which God’s people prepare for celebrating
the death and resurrection of Jesus by focusing on our need for the
forgiveness, grace, and eternal life that the work of Jesus brings. These 40
days of repentance are meant to be a mirror of Jesus’ own forty days in the
desert where He fasted and prepared for the beginning of His earthly ministry,
which would ultimately end on Good Friday and begin again on Easter morning.
Along with the Rite of Ashes, here are
some other ways to worship God as we celebrate Lent:
FASTING
It is a common practice to abstain from
a favorite food, beverage, or activity during the Lenten season. It should be
something that you would normally enjoy daily, so that when you deny yourself
the item, you are reminded to think of Christ and what He gave up for us. It is
also encouraged that we enjoy the items we are fasting from on each Sunday
during Lent as part of your worship and celebration of the Lord’s Day.
PERSONAL
DEVOTION
Lent is a perfect time to devote
ourselves to serious prayer and study of God’s Word. The Bible Study I held on
Wednesdays helped prepare those involved for Lent. So, share your personal
devotions with God! I pray that you find this Lenten season to be a beautiful
means of preparing for the upcoming celebration of Good Friday and Easter.
Over the next 40 days, may our hearts
and our minds be turned toward Him. And please join us for our Wednesday Lenten
services beginning with the fellowship of a meal together! Amen.
The
envelopes for the annual OGHS offering are on the tables where you retrieve the
bulletins. We will collect this offering through March 31.
Our Sunday School is also participating in
the OGHS offering and the kids will bring their donations and we will put them
in the “refugee tent” collection box.
During the year, there will also be
envelopes for Neighbors in Need, Strengthen the Church and the Christmas Fund
(for retired pastors and their families on very limited pensions). We also give to Our Churches Wider Mission through
our fundraisers. That’s 5 UCC missions
each year. In addition to those, we can
give to VBS Mission, McKinney Clinic, CROP Walk and, in past years, Disaster
Relief (which we hope won’t be needed this year). All these opportunities to give to these
missions are provided because members have a “soft spot” for one or another, or
perhaps all of them. We are encouraged
to give to the ones that move our hearts and that we feel strongly about. These
offerings are given “above and beyond” our regular envelope and plate offerings
that are needed to support our church at Emmanuel and continue our local
presence in our own back yards. Your
generosity is appreciated here at home and around the wider world. May God bless you as much as you bless
others.
Gladys Readler would like to say
Thank You to everyone for their prayers, calls and cards due to the loss of her
sister.
There are not enough words to express our thanks for the
outpouring of love and sympathy at the passing of Mary Eroh – wife, mother,
grandmother and great-grandmother of our families. We are deeply grateful for
the cards, calls, gifts and donations in her memory. Our heartfelt thanks goes
to all those who helped us in any way during the funeral service, dinner and
through other acts of kindness and understanding. You have made our time of
sorrow so much easier to bear. It warms our hearts to know how much she meant
to so many of you. ~Don, Denise, Donna, Doreen, Darla and our families. ~
Bob Reader would like to Thank Emmanuel for the prayers and donation
during his fight against liver cancer.
The
season of Lent will begin on Ash Wednesday, March 6. We are again preparing
Lenten suppers prior to our services on the Wednesday evenings during Lent.
These light meals will be shared in the Fellowship Hall at 6:00 pm. We will
then gather at 7:00 pm in the church for service. A sheet is on the table in
the narthex for those who will volunteer to prepare meals. Our Lenten meals and
services are open to everyone and we welcome you to come and join us. Whether
you can come for supper or not, you are welcome to gather with us for worship.
Troop Leader Steve Koons, Kieran Koons, Rowan Dietrich, Brayden Belanchik and Pastor Lou Aita are shown on Feb 3, as Emmanuel UCC hosted Scout Sunday to celebrate with Cub Scout troop 433 and Boy Scout Troop 434. A reception was held in the fellowship hall following the worship service. The scouts participated in roles such as greeters, ushers and acolytes.
In addition to the Youth Group’s Weis and Carone’s Card
Fundraisers, we have a Gift Card Fundraiser which is a great way to help our
church. The Fundraiser Sheets are on the
table in the narthex. Just look over the
list (and there’s a lot to choose from) and mark how many cards you want. As with the Youth Group’s fundraiser, this is
essentially a “no cost” fundraiser. You
are just purchasing gift cards in the amount that you would normally spend at
that store or restaurant. The
fundraising part is that Emmanuel purchases them at a discount which helps our
bottom line. Please pay Lisa Ceaser for
your choices. An order will be places March 3rd.
The Holy Spirit is
a real person who came to reside within Jesus Christ’s true followers after
Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. Jesus told His
apostles…
“I will ask the Father, and He
will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of
truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know
Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will not
leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
The Holy Spirit is
not a vague, ethereal shadow, nor an impersonal force. He is a person equal in
every way with God the Father and God the Son. He is considered to be the third
member of the Godhead. Jesus said to His apostles…
“All authority has been given
to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with
you always, even to the end of the age.”
God is Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. And all the divine attributes ascribed to the Father and the
Son are equally ascribed to the Holy Spirit. When a person becomes born again
by believing and receiving Jesus Christ, God resides in that person through the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has intellect, emotion, and will.
A primary role of
the Holy Spirit is that He bears “witness” of Jesus Christ. He
tells people’s hearts about the truth of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit also
acts as a Christian’s teacher. He reveals God’s will and God’s truth to a
Christian. Jesus told His disciples…
“The Helper, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring
to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
“When He, the Spirit of truth,
comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own
initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you
what is to come.”
The Holy Spirit was
given to live inside those who believe in Jesus, in order to produce God’s
character in the life of a believer. In a way that we cannot do on our own, the
Holy Spirit will build into our lives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Rather than trying to
be loving, patient, kind, God asks us to rely on Him to produce these qualities
in our lives. Thus Christians are told to walk in the Spirit and be filled with
the Spirit. And the Holy Spirit empowers Christians to perform ministerial
duties that promote spiritual growth among Christians.
The Holy Spirit also performs a function for non-Christians as well. He convicts people’s hearts of God’s truth concerning how sinful we are — needing God’s forgiveness; how righteous Jesus is — He died in our place, for our sins; and God’s eventual judgment of the world and those who do not know Him. The Holy Spirit tugs on our hearts and minds, asking us to repent and turn to God for forgiveness and a new life.
This is a list compiled by our Recording Secretary, Penny Smith, showing a breakdown of our member’s offerings by how much they gave for the year. I hope that you will think about where you want your heart to be and the importance of your church in your life as you review this list. Thank you for believing in Emmanuel and our mission as a community of Christ’s followers. Recording Secretary,
From
Reformation theology flows seven characteristics or identity markers of the
church.
First,
the church is doxological, it’s oriented to the glory of God.
Second,
the church is Word-centered. It’s centered on the incarnate Word, who is Jesus
Christ, and the inspired Word: Scripture. The church confesses sound doctrine—what it believes about God, Jesus
Christ, and the Spirit.
Thirdly,
the church is to be Spirit-activated. It’s created, gifted, united, and
empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Fourth,
the church is covenantal. It exists in new covenant relationship with God, and
together, the members exist in a covenantal relationship with one another.
Fifth,
the church is confessional. Each member had a personal confession of faith in
Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Together the church confesses sound
doctrine—what it believes about a triune God, Jesus Christ, the Son incarnate,
and the Spirit.
Sixth,
the church is missional. It’s the body of divinely-called, divine ministers who
proclaim the gospel throughout the world.
Seventh,
the church is here, but not here. It’s already, but not yet. We’re sojourners,
we’re strangers. We’re pilgrims in this world. We enjoy walking with the Lord
and doing his will now, but we look forward to something greater in the future. Reformation theology gives impetus to these
seven characteristics or identity markers of the church.
The
above 7 characteristics of the church were taken from an article by Gregg R.
Allison (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School). Dr. Allison is
professor of Christian theology at The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary. The reason for including this in our newsletter is because I
feel we embody all 7 characteristics at Emmanuel UCC.
We
are sojourners, pilgrims in the world, walking with the Lord. In our little corner of the world we are
helping to make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors around the
world.
The
year 2018 brought to us many joys, and a good share of concerns and
sorrows. We weathered many storms
together, and laughed in the sunshine together.
It is the word “together” that makes such a difference if we step back
and look at our church and each other.
Our commitment to God and His Son Jesus Christ are exemplary. I firmly believe that on that premise alone,
we will continue to succeed in anything we undertake, and be present in the
life of the community and world for a long, long time.
I
am coming into the year 2019 excited about continuing my ministry at Emmanuel,
and am going to begin the process of ordination following Penn Northeast
Conference guidelines. Thanks to all of you I have decided to continue my
religious education and pursue this ordination track.
Again, in our togetherness we will remain string and continue to uphold those wonderful 7 identity markers of the church. Peace be with you and Happy New Year,
A box will be in the bell tower
for your Valentines for Vets. These
Valentines are appreciated very much by those who are housed at the
Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center. The last
date to deposit your Valentines will be Sunday, February 3. Remember those who served.
The chart for the altar flowers
is on the table in the Narthex. They are
$14 for 1 vase or $24 for 2 vases. Please pay Chris Dietrich for the dates you
sponsor.
Forms to order the gift cards from Scrip are on the table in the narthex. This is an easy way for you to donate to our church. Script gives to the church a discount on purchasing the cards and the difference is donated to the General Fund. There are over a hundred stores from which to choose – fast food from Burger King to Wendy’s; restaurants from Applebee’s to Ruth’s Chris Steak House; sporting goods like Dick’s and Cabela’s; department and clothing stores from Aerie to Wet Seal; kid’s stores like Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us; auto shops; pharmacies; and so much MORE!! Grab a form and get some cards – you’re going to shop at these stores anyway, so why not help your church while you do?
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. — Romans 15:13 (NIV)
