• Proverbs tells us that where there is no vision, people perish.   
• It's important to act on your vision, but not devalue what you havenow.
• Make a change in place, rather than space.  
• Build on your strengths.

Forty Days:

Lent is a Christian season of forty days, not counting Sundays.  One rather large Christian denomination will be sponsoring a "fish fry" every Friday during the Lenten season.  I suppose for some reason or another this "fish fry" on Friday will instill in the attendees the reason why the early Christian Church established the tradition of the season of Lent. The sponsors expect to serve 700 people at $8.00 a plate; this is no small piece of change.  Is this activity really what the early church had in mind?  I don't think so.

Drawing from the "The United Methodist Book of Worship", Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, the Saturday before Easter Sunday.  The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word "lencten" which means "spring". The following description is important when compared to a "fish fry".  The Lenten season is a  preparation for celebrating EASTER.  Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts.  Lent then became a time for penance by all Christians.  The First Sunday of Lent describes Jesus' temptation by Satan;  the Sixth Sunday (Passion/Palm Sunday), Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem and Jesus' subsequent passion and death.  Because Sundays are always little Easters, the penitential spirit of Lent should be tempered with JOYFUL EXPECTATION OF THE RESURRECTION. 

Lent is not a "fish fry" on Friday.  As Pastor Alice pointed out during the Ash Wednesday service; "Lent is a season of reflection and repentance.  It invites us to look inside our hearts, seeing ourselves with compassion and truth----to see our brokenness and our beauty, our failings and our faithfulness".  "Traditionally the season of Lent has been a time of fasting, allowing the fast to enter into our lives as a call to prayer."  Fasting is a means of focusing on our commitment to Jesus the Christ. Fasting can be in the form of doing without particular luxuries, material consumerism or various forms of entertainment.  As we fast and pray our thoughts are focused on Jesus the Christ's passion, His death and His resurrection.

Note: the season of Lent is not a "fish fry"

Shalom:
Gordon G. Knight
(co-lay leader)

• $12 million has been received for UMCOR Haiti Relief
• Hundreds of thousands of kits have been received at UMCOR Sager Brown and are being verified for shipment to Haiti.
• Since the January 12 earthquake, UMCOR has carried out an initial assessment of damages and needs, developed a five-year work plan, and shored up strategic partnerships with the United Nations, NGOs, and the Methodist Church in Haiti.

• Kate Paik commented on the three days of remembrance in Haiti, Feb 12-14 which was "to stop and reflect on the past month of survival. Many were dressed in white and spent the three days, usually from 6 am until 1 or 2 pm, at church singing and praying. It [was] a time to gather their strength from God to go on still once more."
• With recent reports indicating that 75 percent of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince will need to be rebuilt, volunteers soon will be needed to go to Haiti. Volunteer teams are beginning to mobilize by filling out the registration form.
• In addition to health kits, this week, volunteers began assembling and shipping layette kits and birthing kits to address the needs of babies born in displaced persons camps.

Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. – Bell Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, 9:30 a.m. – Choir rehearsal

Use your musical talents for the Lord.  Dianne Smith and Dawn Brennan are working diligently to enhance our worship with great music.  We know that there are others in our church with hidden musical talent. Please step forward and offer your gift of music.  Does anyone play guitar?  Sometimes, a guitar would just be sooo  great.

Membership Care & Outreach

• First is Cluster 3 meeting, with other units in the Ann Arbor Area    The meeting will start at 7:00 PM, Wednesday March 17, 2010
  
  
  It will be held at the Dexter UMC located on 7643 Huron River Dr. Dexter, 48130 Our theme is becoming "Greener" and our guest speaker is Jacob Stevens Corvidae, from WARM. He will speak to us about being "greener".
  
  We will hear from each unit what they have been doing and what their upcoming events are and when. Also things that work well for their unit and would like to share with others.
  
  Each unit is asked to bring a small snack to share for our fellowship. When preparing the snack keep "green" in mind, this should be a lot of fun. Ladies think of a snack our unit can bring and let Carol know.
  


• Regular meeting will be held at Betty Hopkins home at 10:00 AM on  Saturday, March 20 - we will begin work on the Spring Tea decorations, please bring a small snack to share.
  

• Our Family brand items - bar code (this is the Polly's/Country Market brand) for Red Bird Mission 
• Box Tops for Education from General Mills products
• Pepperidge Farms UPC codes
• A+ program labels from Tyson foods
• Campbell's Labels for Education program has changed - They will no longer accept the front panel from can labels. The part that can now be redeemed is the UPC section, along with the Labels for Education symbol (little scholar with pencil.) This applies to all Campbell's items.
• Pull tab on metal pop cans – for Ronald McDonald House.  (Barbara Obenchain is heading up this project.)

• Prayer requests
• Activities not listed in the newsletter
• Receive your newsletter by email, if you request it.

• Dates will appear in bulletin
• Meeting reminder postcards mailed
• Helps prevent scheduling overlaps