Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.’ Psalm 51.10
My car is pretty dirty right now. All the freeway miles in the rain and spray from other vehicles does its dirty work pretty fast. The inside isn’t looking so good either. When I gas up, I at least try to keep the lights and windows washed, just for safety. You know the old saying: “See and be seen when on the road.” As for the inside, well, you know how that goes: “I’ll get to that when I’ve got time.”

The same is pretty much true of us. We shower every day to keep our outsides looking clean and tended to. Inside, only God knows the state of our hearts and souls. Sure, we know we need cleansing, but we get a bit sloppy about taking the time to actually do some ‘deep cleaning’. And we forget that God sees our hearts.

Lent calls us to renewal of the whole person: body, mind, spirit. Inside, outside. Ash Wednesday holds up a mirror to our spiritual condition and our mortality. And Lent provides us the time—seven weeks—to let God do some interior cleaning. This season is an opportunity and an invitation to experience God’s renewing power, so that we come to Holy Week and Easter ready and expectant for the best news we’ll ever know: “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.”

ASH WEDNESDAY WORSHIP, FEBRUARY 6: 12 noon and 7pm. Each service will feature the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion as part of the traditional Ash Wednesday liturgy. My midweek Lenten theme for preaching will be “Windows on the Cross: Stories of Love and Sacrifice.”

SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE FEED: Join us this evening at 6pm for a pre-Lent tradition—pancakes and ham. Freewill offering will be taken.

CONGREGATIONAL WORKSHOP: This Saturday, Feb. 9, from 9am – 12 noon at the latest, here at Redeemer. This workshop is put on by our Natural Church Development leadership team, and the goal is to gather grassroots ideas towards working together for improvement of our current minimum factor: Loving Relationships. Breakfast will be available, and of course plenty of coffee. Join us at 9, stay as long as you’re able. We value your presence and participation!

MIDWEEK LENTEN VESPERS: On Wednesday evenings during Lent, we’ll follow our familiar pattern of Soup and Bread Suppers at 6pm, followed by Holden Evening Prayer at 7pm. If you can help out with the suppers, please see the sign-up sheets posted on the main bulletin board. We’ll need soups, breads, and desserts for these suppers on Feb. 13, 20, 27, and March 5 and 12.

A SUGGESTION FOR LENTEN DISCIPLINE AND GROWTH: Instead of simply ‘giving something up’ for Lent as a form of sacrifice, why not also ADD something for Lent for your spiritual growth? Here’s a suggestion: pick one of the four gospels and read that particular Gospel through completely each and every week during Lent. You may be surprised at how much you’ll grow in knowledge, wisdom, and the spiritual life!

ADVANCE NOTICE: In case you hadn’t noticed, 2008 inaugurates a new change in the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. Instead of the first Sunday in April, it is now the second Sunday in March. That means this year DST goes into effect on Sunday, March 9.

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We Wish You God's Peace and Blessing

Sandy Cooper, Secretary
Redeemer Lutheran Church
503-393-7121
4663 Lancaster Drive. NE
Salem, OR 97305
office@redeemer-lcms.org