The last of the Christmas stuff has finally been put away.  All the Sunday School rooms are back to the way they should be.  With a deep sigh of relief the calendar is turned from January to February.  And there it is...staring at us:  Ash Wednesday.  Yes, in just a matter of weeks the Lenten season will be upon us.

Will there be coin folders for Lent?  Yes, and they will go towards apportionments just as they have in the past.  Will there be the soup and sandwich suppers?  Of course!  Will there be the time of worship following the suppers?  Need you ask?  The suppers will start promptly at six with worship being from 6:30 to 7:00 pm.  Once again the different groups within the church will be hosting with the free will offering going towards apportionments.

The story is told of a grand opening of a new store.  The owner received a bouquet of flowers with a card that read, "Deepest Sympathy."  While puzzling over the message, the phone rang.  It was the florist, apologizing for having sent the wrong card.  The store owner assured the florist that he understood how these things can happen.  No harm done.  That's when the florist said, "I'm not so sure about that.  Your card was sent to a funeral.  It read, "Good luck on your new location."

Lent does get us thinking about life after death.  That is why this year's focus in the Lenten services will be on heaven.  There's a lot more to it than just a wish for good luck on a new location.  Here's how it will play out:  Ash Wednesday communion service on the 17th after the soup suppers running from Feb 24th through April 17th, which is two weeks after Easter.  But that will allow us time needed to explore this topic.  Come and join us!