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Dear Taber EFC family, As I write today, we are on our journey back from Austin, Texas with a four-hour layover in Denver. At minus 10 degrees C, and snow falling in the mile-high city, it’s quite a contrast to the 20 plus degree weather we experienced yesterday while hiking in McKinney State Park near Austin. Besides the milder temperatures in Texas, it was very soul-refreshing to share some good times with old friends, and to see the world from a slightly different perspective—something we haven’t been able to do for a while. Traveling by air again reminded us of both its blessings and its various discomforts (delays, cramped quarters, etc.). But it also made us realize again how big the world is and what a large variety of people there are in it. It makes me think of the relevance of Brett’s message last Sunday concerning Jesus’ last command to go and make disciples. It was so good to be reminded of its urgency and meaning alongside the assurance of Jesus’ authority and presence. Thank you, Pastor Brett, and to those who serve in so many other ministries of support through worship, technical skill, ushering and greeting, kids’ worship, hospitality, communication, and so much more throughout the weekly life of the church. I look forward to being with you again this Sunday when the focus of the service will be about forgiveness based on Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:31-32. Set in the context of the “love” emphasis of this month, the message is entitled, God’s Healing Work Through Forgiveness. I find that forgiveness is usually an important issue in the church transition process. Matt Reed will lead us in musical worship, and appropriately, the service will end with communion. Kids Worship, focusing on Old Testament stories of heroes and courage, will happen half-way through the service. I look forward to being in Taber most of next week—working on various ministry matters, planning aspects of the transition process, and visiting with people at Taber EFC for the purpose of getting to know them and the church better. On Wednesday, February 22, at 7:00 pm, Brett is planning an Ash Wednesday worship service to mark the first day of Lent, a forty-day period before Easter in which some parts of the church have traditionally observed ways to participate in the suffering of Christ. In March, I look forward to sharing in the AGM on Sunday, the 12th, and the Ministry Leaders Retreat at SABC on the 17th and 18th. Let’s prayerfully look forward to what God will do in all these times. See you soon, Pastor Ed |
Ash Wednesday Service 7:00pm February 22nd
What Exactly is Ash Wednesday and Lent? Where does it come from? It’s not in the Bible, but some of its ideas are. Ash Wednesday traditionally marks the start of Lent. Lent was started around 230 A.D where a group of Christians started fasting for the 40 hours leading up to Easter to prepare their hearts for the significance of the easter season. Pretty soon the idea caught on and years later, they bumped it up to 7 days of fasting. And called it Holy Week. By 325 A.D, the church officially made it 40 days. Representing Jesus’s 40 days in the wilderness. This is a very condensed version of how Lent started and as I said above, Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent. In the Bible Ashes were always associated with humility and mortality, fasting and remorse. If you had sinned against God, and you felt remorse about that sin, and you were repenting of that sin, then sometimes, in the Bible, you would sprinkle ashes on you head as a sign of sorrow and repentance. Ashes were supposed to remind you that you were mortal, that you will eventually become ashes after you die. This sprinkling of ashes happened privately as a sign of repentance but didn’t become a public practice until around the 7th century. It was during this public practice that ash was rubbed on foreheads in the symbol of a cross to symbolize repentance. Often nowadays many ash Wednesday services encourage themes of fasting, pray, repentance and greater recognition of sin in our lives. Do Christians need to participate in lent or Ash Wednesday? The answer is no, there is no command or teaching in scripture that believers are mandated to do so. Lent would be a comparison to advent another church tradition past on through the year that most churches practice during the Christmas season as they anticipate the birth of Jesus. Advent is also not commanded or mandated for believers to practice. So why have an Ash Wednesday Service/participate in Lent? I think it’s really valuable for us to anticipate the Easter season, similar to how we anticipate the Christmas season. Easter is all about what Jesus did for us, and that’s the part that is worth reflecting on. Jesus took my sin upon himself when he went to the cross, it was my problem not his that he dealt with, and certainly through this work of Christ I am saved and set free from the condemnation of sin. But I am still sinful, I am still tempted, I am guilty of not always having my eyes fixed on Jesus, and there are areas of my life where I need more of Jesus and less of myself. I imagine I am not alone in that. I think this is why this can be a significant thing for us to participate in and work through both individually and corporately. The season of Lent is a time for self-evaluation in light of God’s word. It’s a time to abandon sinful patterns that we have grown accustomed to. It’s time to receive God’s forgiveness and strength to live the Christian life, it’s a time to renew your desire to serve God with all that you are. It’s a season to fast, to let go of something that is consuming our time or our heart and replace that with intentional time with Jesus, It’s a season for us to grieve not only our sin, but also the sin of the world, and it’s a season to anticipate the one who makes all things right, and who accomplishes our forgiveness through the cross. What to expect at the Ash Wednesday service. On Ash Wednesday we will spend time worshipping and reading scripture together, having a short devotional and participating in communion together. We will also have a time of the “imposition of ashes” Where those that would like to participate will come up and have a cross placed on their forehead made of ash. This is a symbolic reflection of our acknowledgment of our sinful condition and our need for Jesus. I hope you will consider joining me at our Ash Wednesday service, I believe it will be a rich and fufilling time spent together. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch. Pastor Brett. |
Annette Lievaart
The mission committee is glad to have Annette Lievaart here to present a mission moment on Feb 19. She will share with us about her work as a respiratory therapist in Kenya, serving at Tenwek Hospital. Please take the opportunity to visit with Annette in the foyer before or after the service. For more information contact Lane Lievaart or check the church website mission page and follow Annette's link. Also Dave McElhinney of Nehemiah Construction would like to pass on his thanks to our congregation for the support he received when he visited us in January. |
Coldest Night Of The Year
Coldest Night of the Year is a walk to raise funds for the Taber Food Bank to support the hungry in our community. For more infomation visit:
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You are invited to Southern Alberta Bible Camp for Women of Valor Ladies Retreat on March 24-26. For more infomation visit:
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Prayer Meeting
Please join us for a time of prayer. These prayer meetings will be held at the church every Monday at 7pm. For more infomation visit:
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Staying Connected
We encourage everyone to stay connected with life at Taber EFC. Volunteer Opportunities - Ways to serve at TEFC |
Taber, Alberta Canada T1G 1S6 |