Wondering why we put ashes on our foreheads?  Curious why Lent is 40 days long?  In two brief minutes, your questions can be answered!  On this Ash Wednesday, check out the video below about what this day and the season of Lent are all about.

Shhh!

We “buried” the alleluia during the children’s message yesterday. [That means we put the printed alleluias in a box and sealed it shut. They'll see light again on Easter morn!] The word of praise is traditionally not proclaimed in the season of Lent, the season of the church year that we usher in this week with Ash Wednesday. It’s not that we don’t praise God during Lent but that we approach the season with somberness and reflection on the human life and our need to cling to God and God’s love. And we save up our enthusiastic alleluia for Easter morning!

Many people during Lent take up a discipline of some sorts. Some don’t eat chocolate or don’t drink coffee. Some people promise to not use curse words or commit to doing yoga each of the 40 days of the season which lead us to Easter morning. Maybe you do something like that; maybe you don’t.

If you are looking for something – for a Lenten discipline – may I give you a few suggestions? Lent, in its very nature, is one of reflection. You can join us on Sunday mornings during coffee hour as we reflect on Scripture through Bible study. A favorite professor of mine from Luther Seminary is releasing a Lenten devotions, sent each day to your email, for the season. You can sign up here. Or, year round, God Pause email devotions are published each morning and appear in your email inbox.

So. What do you think? Will you come to Bible study or maybe sign up for an email devotion? What discipline, if any, will mark your Lent this year?

Red Oak Grove hosted it’s second annual chili cook-off this past Sunday following church.  Six chilies we put to the test by the voters who sampled the fare.  There was something for all tastes – the hot, the spicy, the elk meat, and the mild.  It was super fun to gather after coffee hour, all in the spirit of chili and deciding which crockpot should receive our individual votes.  Wouldn’t you know with SIX entries there was a three-way tie for first place!  It just goes to show how hard it was to choose and how delicious each chili was!  Thanks to all those who organized, who brought chili, and those who taste tested!

The three winning cooks!

You know we’ve been all about mosquito nets and working towards helping our neighbors in Africa this month.  Yesterday we wrapped up our January focus on these life saving nets.  Through the Clarke Cares Foundation, every $10 would buy two nets which would then be matched by another foundation for a total of FOUR nets for every $10.  Red Oak Grove pooled their coins each Sunday in January, making lots of noise throwing them in a big metal buckets during the offering.  The women of ROG pitched in with a great donation to help the kids buy even more nets.

The total?  100 nets!  That’s 100 families who will have a net to sleep under.  100 families who will have a better chance at not becoming ill with malaria.  100 families of children and elderly who will have a greater chance of surviving.

We blessed the nets in worship yesterday.  Everyone got up out of their pews and put a hand on the net we had and if they couldn’t reach the net, they put their hand on the shoulder of a person who had a hand on the net.  [Or the shoulder of a person who had a hand on the shoulder of a person who had a hand on the net.]  What a blessing to share.

Bless these nets that they may be a blessing to families who need them.  We pray for their safe arrival and delivery to our brothers and sisters in Africa.  May the nets keep families safe, healthy, and well.  May you continue to work through us at Red Oak Grove, that we may see the face of Christ in our neighbors across the world as we love and read out to all in need.  And all God’s people said AMEN!

Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:1-3)

And so the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses and the people of Israel begins. You can read the whole bit in Exodus 20:1-17.

Or, check out this version crafted by the confirmation students at ROG.

Or, if you’re really brave, see what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if God texted them to Moses. [Caution: You may need a teenager to translate.]

Regardless of the language used, the Ten Commandments are ultimately about our relationship to God and to our neighbors.  Which commandment is most difficult for you to follow?  What are some ways we can do a better job at keeping these commandments at the heart of how we act on a daily basis?

[taking a nod from the Ten Commandments in text]

k thx bye.

ps wwjd?

Last Sunday afternoon, Red Oak Grove hit the bowling alley in Hayfield for a couple hours of pizza, fellowship, and bowling!

We had fun throwing bowling balls down the lanes, sometimes backwards and sometimes straight to the gutter.

Rumor has it a bowling trip happened last year too.  Perhaps it will become an annual Sunday afternoon event to break up the winter monotony!  You should come next year.  It will be fun.

Uh oh.

Even though it is winter, pesky mosquitoes have invaded Red Oak Grove – have you seen them hanging out in our building?  [Kids challenge: Count how many mosquitoes there are in the building and tell Pastor Lindsay your final answer.  Get the number right for a prize!]  The bad news is that the mosquitoes won’t leave until mosquito nets are purchased.  But that’s also good news – for each mosquito net we buy, a family in Africa will be safe from a deadly disease!

The next couple weeks we will focus on the disease malaria and what WE can do to save people’s lives.  One child dies every 45 seconds from malaria – and we can stop that from happening!  The Sunday School children are all over this cause and collecting money for nets.  WELCA is in on it too!  Keep this initiative in your prayers, check out the bed net hanging in the Sunday School wing, and watch the bulletins for more ways that you can help!

Check out this website and this one for more information!