Reconciler Update

Our Annual meeting is coming up and Lent closely follows upon our annual meeting. The beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday, is February 5th. Our Annual meeting is Sunday January 27th. The annual meeting of Reconciler is for any and all of us who attend Reconciler regularly and/or consider Reconciler to be one of your church homes. It is a time for us to gather and hear where we have come from in the past year and to make decisions of where we want to go and confirm together where the Spirit is leading us at this juncture. It is an important time for us as a worshiping community to reflect on who we are and see how we might continue to live into our call and vision as a congregation, for the coming year.

Lent also is a time for reflection and preparation. As we journey towards Holy Week and Easter we prepare for remembering the passion of Christ and his Resurrection. Part of this preparation or reflection is often to do some sort of fasting, either from food altogether on certain days during lent or from particular foods or activities for the entirety of Lent. Part of the point of fasting is to turn to God in prayer and meditation, and if one is fasting from a meal or meals on particular days to plan to give away the money one would have spent on that meal or activity or item of food during Lent. It is good to remember as we journey through Lent that this time of reflection is to be a time of renewal so that we may see and act more clearly with God in the world. Setting aside money to give away one would have spent on food or an activity one is fasting from can be a good reminder that our fasting meditation and prayer is to both transform us and the world. We stop and reflect because we can loose sight of why we do what we do, because we can get bogged down in the normal stresses of life and become absorbed in the small things that can consume our life. Thus lent is also a time of repentance and self-examination, where we are called to turn back from possible patterns of sin that may have crept into our lives over the past year.
Announcements:
Our Annual meeting is on Sunday January 27th beginning at 2 PM with a potluck in the 'Nidge, the at 3PM in Immanuel's parish hall we will begin our meeting. We will have our worship service at the normal time of 5PM following the meeting.

On January 27th we have the Rev. Doug Harris one of the pastors at North Shore Baptist Church ,presiding at communion.

This Sunday the Rev. Jolene Bergstrom-Carlson the Associate Superintendent of the Central Conference of the ECC will be worshiping with us.

In an effort to coordinating the care of the space Immanuel shares with us we are looking for people to coordinate with Immanuel's alter guild and Properties committee to help maintain this space and Immanuel's property. A couple of you have responded but if others are also interested please talk to Larry or Laura.

Immanuel is looking for members of Reconciler who would be willing to serve as ushers and greeters at our joint services on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Services. Talk to Larry if you would like to serve in this way at any of the above mentioned services.

Ash Wednesday February 6th we will be having a joint service with Immanuel and St Elias of the imposition of Ashes at 7 PM in the Sanctuary.

In Christ,
Larry