Reach Out. Proclaim. Inspire.

Feb. 18, 2015

TODAY is Ash Wednesday! Services will be at noon, 5:30 and 7 p.m., with Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes.

Vacation Bible School - Save the dates! VBS will be June 15-18. Registration begins March 1.

This Weekend

This weekend is the First Sunday in Lent. Readings include Genesis 9:8-17 and Mark 1:9-15:

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.

And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.' And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.'.

Lenten Schedule Online

TODAY is Ash Wednesday. We'll begin the contemplative season of Lent with three worship services: Noon, 5:30 and 7 p.m., including Holy Communion and the Imposition of Ashes.

The complete schedule of Lenten and Easter events is posted on our website.

National Lutheran Choir in Arizona - Feb. 19-22

For SPD members wintering in Phoenix area, our Director of Music, Linda Armstrong, invites you to attend one of the events of the upcoming National Lutheran Choir concert tour, Feb. 19-22. Tickets are still available for concerts in Mesa, Scottsdale, Sun City and Prescott. Check the NLC website for details!

A History of Christianity - Feb. 22

A six-week video course, A History of Christianity, will meet Sundays, Feb. 22-March 29, from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. This series, presented by Diarmaid MacCulloch, will explore the origins of Christianity and delve into what it means to be a Christian. The series has been called "intelligent, thought-provoking and magisterial in its scope." Each week participants will view the one-hour DVD and engage in facilitated conversation to follow. For more information contact Pastor Mathison at cmathison@spdlc.org.

Summer Preview - March 1

Save the date for a fun informational event that will introduce summer programming at St. Philip the Deacon. Throughout the morning on Sunday, March 1 we'll be available in Fellowship Hall to answer your questions and help you sign up to participate in a wide range of family-friendly summer fun -- from retreats, trips and sporting events to service projects and sunny playtime. There's so much going on at SPD that we've decided to have an event to tell you about it all! Join us!

Church Assessment Tool - March 1-22

To help inform the development of a new SPD strategic plan, we are inviting congregational members to complete a survey called the Church Assessment Tool (CAT). The CAT is a statistically reliable, benchmarked instrument designed to provide an in-depth look at the experiences, perceptions and aspirations of the church's membership. We will be posting a link to the CAT our our website at spdlc.org/LookingForward2015 from March 1-22.

Women's Retreat 2015 - Register by March 1

All of us experience deeply personal periods of life that connect with the distinct seasons of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, waiting, ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. These have the power to move us toward the kind of life we long for -- with new joy, transformation, and deep well-being in our personal lives and ministry. The 2015 Women's Retreat, Seasons of the Soul, unpacks the special rhythms of Jesus' life and passion that offer transformation to ours. It helps us recognize and embrace these rhythms toward resurrected power and meaning in our personal lives and ministries.

Join us the weekend of March 6-8 for this powerful faith-building retreat. Read more on our website and download the registration form. Registration deadline is March 1, so don't delay!

Bible Weekend - March 8

First Grade students will each receive their own copy of the NIRV Adventure Bible on Sunday, March 8 at our 8:30 and 9:45 a.m. worship services. It is a pleasure to be able to give Bibles to these students as a gift from St. Philip the Deacon. May they learn about God's great love for them through His Holy Word -- please keep them in your prayers.

Summer St. John's Retreat - July 30-Aug. 2

An annual retreat at St. John's University will be offered for adults: men and women, singles and couples. This year the SJU Retreat runs Thursday evening, July 30 through Sunday noon, Aug. 2. Mornings are spent in classroom/group activities focused on a theme, afternoons are completely free time. We enjoy dinners together and evening prayers in the Abbey Church with the Benedictine monks. All are welcome! Reach out to Pastor Valerie Strand Patterson, vstrand@spdlc.org, or Kristine and Jim Houtman, kristine.houtman@gmail.com, with any questions.

In This Issue

This Weekend

Lent Schedule Online

NLC in Phoenix

History of Christianity

Summer Preview

Church Assessment Tool

Women's Retreat

Bible Weekend

Summer St. John's Retreat

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

O my God, in you I trust;

Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.

Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

Psalm 25:1-10

For Reflection

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.'

- Genesis 3:19

See more thoughts like this at fb.com/spdlc.

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