First Try
Notes from Grace
This is my first try sending this out. We'll see how it goes, I hope it picks up steam and becomes more helpful as more people get subscribed.
What's Happening This Week?
- Little Lambs: Monday-Thursday 8-11am
- Ladies' Afternoon Circle: Wednesday 1:30pm
- Catechism: Friday 4pm
- Sunday: Bible Class/Sunday School 9am, Divine Service 10am, Merriman 4pm
Looking Ahead
- Feb. 12 (Sexagesima): Our monthly mission dinner. This month we're collecting for community needs, especially for our food pantry and little clothes closet.
- Feb. 22: Ash Wed service at 6pm.
- Feb. 26 (Lent 1): Nursing Home Service at 2:30
Devotional Life
- Feb 2nd-Purification and Presentation of Mary
- Feb 5th-Septuagesima and Jacob (Israel), Patriarch
- Getting Ready for Church This Sunday
- In Bible class we'll be studying Revelation 14
Salt, Light, & Signs of the Times
Three Weeks: A Devotion From Pastor Jacob Benson, St. John’s Lutheran, Lovell, WY
This Sunday is called Septuagesima. No, that's not Latin for "Super Bowl," it means "seventy."
But seventy what?
In the historic Lutheran church year, there are three weeks between the celebration of the Transfiguration, and the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
Those three Sundays are: Septuagesima (sep-too-uh-JEZZ-ih-muh) or "about seventy days until Easter" Sexagesima (sex-uh-JEZZ-ih-muh) or "about sixty days until Easter" Quinquagesima (kwin-kwuh-JEZZ-ih-muh) or "about fifty days until Easter"
These three weeks don't really know where they belong. They have aspects of the joyful celebrations we've known in the Sundays of Christmas and Epiphany season (bright colors, readings that are centered on grace and not sacrifice), but also have shades of lent (for instance, we'll sing a portion of a psalm instead of "Alleluia" before the Gospel reading). Most notably, they anticipate Easter, since their names are counting down to the greatest day in the Church Year.
The point of these three Sundays isn't to confuse you with fancy Latin words, nor is it to extend the somber mood of Lent for another three weeks. Rather, the point is for preparation.
Take these three weeks to think about what it means to be "in the wilderness" for the 40 days of Lent.
Are you going to take on a fast? Are you going to volunteer your time somewhere? Will you determine to attend all the midweek and holy week services? Maybe you could read through the one (or all) of the Gospels during Lent. How will you discipline your body? How will you discipline your soul?
Whatever your Lenten fast is, prepare, and Ash Wednesday won't creep up on you. And if you observe Lent, Easter won't creep up on you. And if you observe Easter, the Ascension won't creep up on you. If you observe Ascension, Pentecost won't creep up on you. And if you observe Pentecost, the return of Christ in Judgment won't creep up on you.
Liturgically speaking, we have seen Christ transfigured and are now descending the mountain. That descent takes about three weeks. At the end of which, we will find ourselves crying out "Lord, have mercy," and having Christ's cross etched on our foreheads while we are reminded that "thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return." At the end of those 40 days, we will learn that Christ will raise us up out of the dust, just as the Glory of the Father raised Him from the grave.
That's it for now.
In Christ, Pastor Sherman