Dear Centenary Church Family:

Yesterday–Ash Wednesday–marked the beginning of the penitential Season of Lent and the beginning of our 40-day (less Sundays) journey toward Jerusalem, Calvary and the open tomb of Easter (April 8 ). This Sunday, February 25, we will gather for Worship in our Sanctuary at 10:15 AM on The First Sunday in Lent. Our Junior Choir will sing Panis Angelicus by César Franck, as arranged by Patrick M. Liebergen, following which I will share a word with the children. (Children from Pre-K through Senior High School will be dismissed for Sunday School following the Children’s Meditation.) We will celebrate the Sacrament of Christian Baptism for Ryan Ross Peters and Drew Graham Peters, sons of Jeffrey and Melissa Peters, and grandsons of Tom and Nancy Moyer. My Morning Message, Begin in the Wilderness, is based on the Gospel reading for this First Sunday in Lent from Luke 4:1-13. We will also share in the reading from the Hebrew Scriptures in Deuteronomy 26:1-11. Our Chancel Choir will sing Lord, From the Depths I Call to You, music by George Frideric Handel, as edited and arranged by Hal H. Hopson. For the final Sunday in February, our Celebration of Found Coins will be designated for the Greater NJ Annual Conference Media Center.

Reminder: Kids’ Night Out Ice Skating at Roosevelt Park is tomorrow, Friday, February 23, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

Because of several conflicts, Acolyte Training, previously scheduled for this Sunday, has been Rescheduled for Sunday, March 4 at 11:45 AM: Young persons in the Fourth Grade and above who are interested in serving as Acolytes in Worship are invited to remain after our Worship service next Sunday, March 4, for a brief time of training. Pastor Painter and others from our Worship Committee will be available to assist our Acolytes to undertake their important responsibilities. Those who have served as Acolytes previously are also encouraged to attend.

The Art of Muriel Harris at Centenary During Lent: We are blessed during the 2007 Lenten Season to have a number of Muriel Harris’ collages adorning the walls of our Sanctuary. These smaller collages have served as the inspiration for a number of her larger paintings. You will want to take time to pause today and on the Sundays during Lent—or at other times you are in the building—to view these special works based on the indicated biblical passages, and reminding us of the themes of creation, liberation and justice. Muriel Harris, a long-time member of Centenary UMC, has received many awards and high recognition over the years for her artistry. Although in recent years she has endured the loss of much of her eyesight to age-related macular degeneration, Muriel Harris continues to create new art using a number of different media. We are grateful to Muriel Harris for sharing the gift of her art with us once again this year.

Lenten Wednesday Evening Bible Study: Pastor John Painter will lead a five-week Wednesday evening Lenten Bible Study from 7:30-8:30 PM beginning this Wednesday, February 28, and continuing through Wednesday March 28. The focus of the study will be The Passion Narratives of the four Gospels. As part of your Lenten discipline, you are invited to bring your favorite translation of the Bible and participate in the reading and discussion.

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER is Friday, March 2, 2007. Church Women United of Metuchen-Edison will be celebrating this day with a program beginning at 1:00 P.M. in Centenary United Methodist Church. The women of First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen will present the program and the women from Centenary will provide the refreshments. Come and join with women of other faiths in our neighborhood and around the world. Come and join us.

TGIF Intergenerational Dinner and Lectionary Discussion and a lot of fun together will meet on Fridays, March 2 & 9 from 6:30-8:30 PM. A barrel offering is taken to defray the costs for the meal and materials. Persons of all ages are invited and encouraged to attend.

Adult Class Relives “The First Easter” Through Living Scripture: For its Lenten study this year, Centenary’s Adult Class will use “living Scripture” to bring to vivid life Luke’s account of The First Easter: Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension. Our six-week study will focus on the last six chapters of Luke’s Gospel (chapters 19 through 24), beginning with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and ending with his ascension into heaven at Bethany, following his resurrection and appearances to his disciples. We will be supplementing Luke’s written account of the Passion narrative with a filmed version of the events he describes, using the New Media Bible series of The Genesis Project. This series was filmed entirely against the timeless landscapes of the Holy Land and is faithful to Scripture in every detail. Join us as we relive the most important event in human history, starting Sunday, March 4, from 9:00-10:00 AM in the Sunshine Room.

COMMUNION BREAKFAST for the women of Centenary, Wesley and New Dover Churches will be held on Saturday, March 17, 2007 at 9:30 A.M. at Centenary. The leader will be the Rev. Linda Humphries of Hamilton, NJ who will help us ‘stretch our faith’. We will need help with setting up tables and providing food for the group. If you can help in any way, please let Millie Pleuler, Giselle Esquivel-Cordero or Sylvia Woodfield know.
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper Mardi Gras Jazz Evening A Big Success: Music Ministry Director Shirley Mosteller has offered heartfelt “Thank You” to all in the choir, Music Committee and congregation who helped in so many ways with the Mardi Gras/Jazz Evening this past Tuesday. And thanks to all who attended. Without you it couldn’t have been the success it was. Shirley reports that we raised over $1500, so after expenses, came out ahead by about $700! Thanks for all your hard work!!

Have You Visited UMC.org Recently?: After more than two years of development, The Rev. Larry Hollon, General Secretary of United Methodist Communications, is pleased and proud to inform us that the new UMC.org…the Web site of the people of The United Methodist Church…is now live. The redesign of our official denominational Web site has been an enormous undertaking, requiring the latest technologies, feedback from members of the denomination, and the considerable talents of many at United Methodist Communications.
Church leaders will be able to use UMC.org to conduct a broad search of church resources using the new MethoPedia (United Methodist encyclopedia), register a congregation’s needs to connect with volunteers, and help seekers find a church in their community. Church members will find unique tools to discover their spiritual gifts, identify volunteer opportunities, and connect with people of faith around the world by participating in the new social network at UMC.org Community.
Stop by www.UMC.org and check out the new features at the official Web site of the people of The United Methodist Church.

Some Thoughts for This Week:

We shrink or expand to the size of our vision.
We are poor only when we want more than we have.
How we play the game shows something of our character;
How we lose it shows all of it.
When we give God second place, we give God no place at all.
In the economy of God we have to give in order to have riches,
and die in order to live.
We may be better than our reputation,
But we are never better than our principles.

Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words. – St. Francis of Assisi

Prayer for the Week of February 25: Sing praises to our God in the heart of the Body of Christ! We come in thankfulness to you, O God, for every evidence of your patience and generosity as you watch us in our wandering journey of life – moving in and out of the true way like sheep who sometimes follow the call of the Shepherd but often go our own way. We never cease to wonder at your love for us, even us, who are your very human company. Thanks be to you, O God. Amen.

Next Sunday – March 4, 2007:
9:00 AM – Adult Class (The First Easter)
10:15 AM – Worship and Sunday School (Pre-K through 12th Grade)
The Second Sunday in Lent / Sacrament of Holy Communion
Preacher: John D. Painter Theme: No Turning Back…
Lectionary Readings: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Philippians 3:17-4:1
Psalm 27 Luke 13:31-35
11:30 AM – Fellowship Time (Room 20)
11:45 AM – Acolyte Training (Sanctuary)
5:30 PM – Junior Choir Rehearsal (Music Room)
6:30 PM – United Methodist Youth Fellowship (Youth Room./Room. 20)

I look forward to sharing with many of you in Study, Worship and Christian Fellowship at Centenary this Sunday.

Shalom, John