1. Parking Lot
2. Office/Courtyard Roof
3. Lenten Devotions/Sunday Ride for Anya Burkart
4. Mid-Week Lenten Soup Supper
5. Acolyte Training 0n 3/1
6. Confirmation Canceled for 2/22
7. Boston Light of the World Dinner on 2/28
Dear Members and Friends,
Some (actually, most) of these items missed tomorrow’s bulletin. And, given the “what ifs” of the weather forecast, I thought the following information would be useful in some manner. If not, chalk it up to my youthful exuberance andSaturday morning coffee.
1. Parking Lot: It’s a lot smaller than the last time you visited FLC, with massive snow banks against the stairwell wall, the back walls, and the brick wall between properties. In addition, the ice age has visited the sanctuary roof with glaciers (no, really, glaciers…see photo) slowly making their way to and over the edge of the roof. I don’t know what the lot’s condition will be with the wintry snow and rain mix in the forecast and today’s temps, but if you do venture into the lot, please look up and be aware that the ice chunks may bounce off the lower roof and piles of snow. We’d like to avoid having them find their final resting place on your front hood. Park accordingly and please be careful, whether in the lot or on the streets.
2. And, speaking of the roof, many thanks go to Paul Stiller, Blake Sutcliffe and Andy Krey for their efforts to clear more than three feet of snow and ice from the roof of the office and courtyard. A combination of brute force and a small electric snow blower really reduced the risk of ice dams or, worse, the weight of the snow mixed with potential rains leading to collapse. Aside from doing this with no injuries, back sprains or falls from the roof, the other good news is that they’re marketing their workout program to help take off the winter pounds, “Flat Roof to Flat Tummy in 48 hours” with all proceeds going to FLC.
3. Lenten Devotions: Lutheran Hour Ministries provided printed devotions for Advent and have offered online devotions for Lent. The content for LHM’s Daily Devotions during Lent will be provided from the series, “The Light Shines Through the Darkness,” by Rev. Wayne Palmer. For a direct link to today’s devotion where you should be able to subscribe for the rest of Lent and beyond, click here: LHM Daily Lenten Devotions. In addition, Anya Burkart found a devotional study that includes a daily confession in addition to study, reflection and prayer. If you’d like a copy of the pdf for “Journey to the Cross: Readings and Devotions for Lent,” please let Anya know at very_unique@msn.com or contact me.
3 1/2. And, speaking of Anya, she took a bit of a spill on the slushy streets of Boston and could use a ride to church tomorrow morning to the service of your choice. Please contact her at the same email address (very_unique@msn.com) if you can coordinate a ride for her.
4. Soups On (with your help): With the season of Lent comes mid-week services and mid-week soup suppers. Given last Sunday’s weather, we didn’t have an opportunity to seek out (or corner) prospective chefs and cleaner-uppers. We are in need of both through the end of mid-week Lenten worship, March 25. Soup/stew/or whatever one-pot meal needs to be in the kitchen and on the stove by 6 pm. Clean-up (washing dishes, storing left-overs) can take place immediately before or after the 7 pm service. Feel free to respond to this email, contact the office to see what dates are open (all, at this point) or sign-up in the narthex.
5. Carrying the Torch (actually, lighting the candles) A Crucifer and Acolyte Training Boot Camp is scheduled for Sunday, March 1st at 12:30pm with Thilo Henkes (who, it’s rumored, began the tradition at FLC when he was a many years younger and thought that robes were cool, so cool he still wears them today as service elder). All confirmation students must attend and anyone else who wants the training is welcome–in Pastor’s words “as long as they can sit properly, manage lighting the candles, and can follow a worship service without supervision.” I think that translates into “age appropriate, tall enough to reach, and willing to sit up front at the altar during worship in front of a lot of people.”
6. And, speaking of confirmation students, class for tomorrow afternoon, February 22, is canceled. The test on Books of the Bible and Ten Commandments scheduled for tomorrow will be sent to confirmands by email or mail, as necessary, in total confidence that they will be honest and trustworthy in their test-taking!
7. Finally…Boston Light of the World is scheduled to dine in the elegance of FLC’s undercroft next Saturday evening, February 28. We are still in need of volunteers to help serve, cook and clean-up the meal for this important FLC mission. Please contact Head Elder Steve Perko at head-elder@flc-boston.org to offer your time and talent. It’s a quick evening and well worth the service to our fellow Believers.
That’s it for now. We’ve covered the usual Lutheran issues of weather, worship and, well, food. Enjoy the day’s roof-raking…or whatever else is store for your Saturday.
As Vincent James is known to say, in some form or other, “Sunday comes once a week, every week.” And, that’s tomorrow!
God bless.
John
