The Now of Storytelling

Join Janelle Combelic for an hour of stories about her time in England interspersed with traditional tales, songs, and poems. The second of three one hour performances will take place on Sunday, March 14, at 4:30 p.m. See Adult Education for more information on the series. Part 3 is Sunday, April 11.

Lenten Devotional Booklet

This year's Lenten Devotional Booklet on Prayer is now available at http://www.ucclongmont.org/content/documents/LentenDevotional_2010.pdf.

Adult Education Opportunities

See the Adult Education page for the Sunday morning 9 a.m. classes, Tuesday Lunch Bunch study group, and Tuesday 7 p.m. evening Lectionary study descriptions.

Join us in March for the following classes in the Fireside Room at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings:

• March 7 - Janet Walker-Ready will speak on the Housing First model and its successes in a follow-up to the Servant or Sucker? Wise and Compassionate Ways to Help the Poor class.

• March 14, 21, 28 - Spring Celebrations of Many Faiths

Sunday school and nursery are available at 9 a.m. on Sundays.

2010 Biloxi Mission Trip

Biloxi Mission Trip was February 21-28, 2010. See 2010 Biloxi Mission Trip for pictures from the trip and a trip journal. Join us on April 11 for a special "Biloxi Sunday" worship service.

Artist of the Month

Tim Ellis is the March featured artist. See Music/Art/Library for more information.

Stewardship Message: Housecleaning

"So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away, see everything has become new!" Romans 5:17

Lent has traditionally been a time for cleaning house; in fact the practice of "Spring Cleaning" may be related to the religious practice of clearing the kitchen of fat on Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday. Shrove Tuesday is meant to be only the beginning of a time of taking stock in every part of our lives. In Lent we are called to consider not only the excesses of our material existence that need to be purged, but also anything in our spirits or minds that needs reassessment and clearing out.

Instead of understanding Lent as a grim and joyless period, we might remember Paul's encouragement and see Lent as a time of becoming new. As a person who has moved from one house to another often in her life, I know that before you enter the new house, you need to clean out the old one, decide what is to be kept and what is to be discarded, and discern what new items you might need to acquire for a new situation in life.

This Lent, then, we are offered the cleansing opportunity of examining our lives on every level, both material and spiritual. Where are the excesses we need to clear out? What do we need to reassess about priorities, relationships, possessions and time management in order to be ready to live into a resurrection discipleship? On Easter, when the risen Christ calls us to new life, what might be weighing us down and keeping us from responding quickly, with joy, as stewards of the good news?

March 2010 God is still speaking,
This resource is a free service and is made possible by your gifts to Our Church's Wider Mission.

www.ucc.org/stewardship/stewardship-messages