By the time you read this, we will be near the start of Lent, with Ash Wednesday having been on February 21 st. Our Lenten Suppers, Studies and Services ( 6:30, 7:10 and 8 pm, respectively) will begin the following Wednesday (Feb. 28 th) and run over the course of five weeks.

Due to an expressed interest in again being able to sample each other’s home-cooked dishes, we will return this year to the potluck format for the dinners, with members of various church groups taking leadership in the set-up and clean-up for one of the nights.

So pull out those recipe books and whip up one of your favorite entrees, salads, breads, side-dishes, or desserts to share! Or if you’re pressed for time getting back from work, anything from the supermarket deli, KFC, or Dominoes will be much appreciated as well.

As in the past, we’ll offer Lenten study classes for all ages, with the teens exploring “Christian Themes in Recent Movies,” and our younger students learning about “Heroes of the Bible.” Adults will have three choices: “Strategies for Reaching Out to our New Neighbors” by Yours Truly; “Centering Prayer” by the Rev. Jane Piver; and “Christian Heresies” by our seminarian Arienne Davison.

For the worship service, we’ll do something a little different this year. While we will offer Holy Communion, the first part of the service will be according to a Taizé worship format. It will begin with Linda Egan and several of our choir members leading us in singing some of the Taizé chants. Then a short passage of Scripture will be read, followed by a period of reflective silence. Finally, choir members will chant the Prayers of the People, with the congregation joining in the chorus, leading us into The Peace and Communion. Holy Unction for healing will be offered at the conclusion of the service.

I hope that all of you will be able to join in these weekly times of fellowship, study and worship as part of your Lenten discipline. By doing so, I think you will find that your walk with Christ deepened, and your joy on Easter morn more complete. Come and be a part of it all!