8100 NW 23rd Street Oklahoma City, OK 73127 405.789.8812

March 5, 2019

Caring & Sharing The schedule for February & March is:

Weds Mar 13th 4:30 PM ‘eat out”

Sun Mar 17th 4:00 pm Meeting at WOCC

Weds Mar 27th 4:30 pm ‘eat out’

Everyone is invited to any of the events.

For questions or comments, please contact :

Margo Thein 947-1873 or Charlene Majetic 830-2281

SOUP FOR

THE SOUL

Sundays at 6:00 pm

March 10 Rabbi Abby Jacobson

March 17 Rev. Dr. George Young

March 24 Panel: Interfaith Trip to

Israel & Palestine

March 31 Dr. Imam Imad Enchassi

April 7 Dr. John Starkey

Join us each Sunday evening during Lent for dinner and

guest speakers.

Shalom

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, in which people of faith set

aside time to fast and reflect upon the state of ourselves.

Join us in the sanctuary as we remember who we are and who Christ is for us.

March 6, 2019 7:00 pm

The Lenten Season This week begins the Lenten journey for us at the

church. This means the paraments, the cloths on the

pulpit, lectern and communion table, will be changed

to purple. Some believe purple to be a color of royalty

but it is also a color that can signify mourning and

penitence. The word Lent comes from Old English

Lenten, or the Dutch Lente, or the Germanic word

Lenz, all meaning “Spring”. However, for Christians,

Lent means 40 days before Easter in which we prepare

ourselves for the events of Holy Week and the

celebration of Easter. So, why 40 days?

Moses spent 40 days with God on Mt. Sinai. Elijah

spent 40 days walking to reach Mount Horeb. The

Israelites wandered the wilderness for 40 years search-

ing for the Promised Land. Jonah, in accordance with

God’s instructions, was given 40 days to repent. In the

story of Noah it rained for forty days. Following his

baptism, Jesus goes into the wilderness and fasts for

forty days. According to Acts 1, “After his suffering he

presented himself alive to them by many convincing

proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days

and speaking about the kingdom of God.”

The number forty is a rather common occurrence in

the Bible and denotes an epoch, or rather a significant

period in someone’s life. When the Bible refers to 40

years though, it is referring to an entire generation. So,

what do we do for forty days? Some people think Lent

is all about fasting like Jesus did. However, I like to

think of it more as forty days to get closer to God.

Jesus did not go into the wilderness to be tested or to

give up food, but rather to get closer to God, to discov-

er the dependence on God. In Nineveh they spent 40

days reflecting on their lives and repenting, covering

themselves with sack cloths and ashes as a sign of

their repentance. So, we begin Ash Wednesday,

marking our foreheads with ashes to mark the begin-

ning of our own personal period of reflection, a time

to draw closer to God, and a time of repentance. How

does giving up something bring me closer to God?

Many times, these very things are distractions from

God to begin with. Other times, they are things we

crave and when we crave them we turn to God in

prayer to give us strength to endure.

Now, undoubtedly, someone has counted the time

between Ash Wednesday and Easter and said, “Wait a

minute! There are 46 days! Is someone trying to

sneak something over here?” As I like to look at it is

during Lent, every Sunday can be seen as a mini East-

er, a day of rest from your fasting. Now, this is not

meant to be a day of indulgence, (that was Fat Tues-

day which is the day before Ash Wednesday) but a day

that you can relax your fasting a little bit to help you

last 40 days.

Whether you are fasting from soda, or caffeine, or

something else. Or perhaps you are accepting the

DWF challenge of 40 donated items in 40 days. Or

perhaps you will spend 40 days taking on a new

healthy habit, I pray that you will also spend 40 days

in prayer and drawing closer to God.

Shalom,

Frank, James 3/17

Howry, Mandie 3/17

Beck, Dianne 3/18

Hughes, Jane 3/18

Schroeder, David 3/21

Hill, Edward 3/25

Young, Phillip 3/25

Jones, Taylor 3/26

Gray, Elizabeth 3/27

Storm, Marilyn 3/27

Wood, Duane 3/29

McCroskey, Rosa 3/2

Ruedy, Shirlee 3/2

Lunsford, George 3/4

Conner, Jodie 3/5

Mars, Joe 3/5

Mars, Joey 3/5

Joseph, Jamie 3/7

Bradley, Donna 3/13

Thorn, Stuart 3/15

Graham, Jack 3/16

Jewell, Miss Ella 3/16

Donate

40 Items

In

40 Days!

Please bring new or gently used items

that others would enjoy receiving.

Bring all

Items to

the Church

by April 24

Disciples Women’s Fellowship

Pick up an envelope this Sunday to give to those in need of warmth.

March 2019

6 Ash Wednesday 7:00pm 10 Daylight Savings Soup for the Soul Series 6:00pm 13 Bridge for Fun 1:00pm Caring & Sharing Meal 4:30pm 17 Caring & Sharing Meeting 4:00pm 19 Elders Prayer Breakfast 7:15am 21 Disciple Women 6:00pm 26 CWF Meeting and Lunch 9:30am 27 Bridge for Fun 1:00pm 27 Caring & Sharing Meal 4:30pm 31 Benevolent Sunday Family Event—Shrine Circus 2:00pm

March Committee Meetings 19 Personnel Meeting 6:00pm Admin Meeting 7:00pm 26 Evangelism 1:00pm

“Loving God, Serving our Neighbor”

8100 NW 23rd Street

Oklahoma City OK 73127

Church Staff

Senior Minister: Rev. Daniel U’Ren Daniel@woccdoc.org

Associate Minister: Rev. Julia Jordan Gillett Julia@woccdoc.org

Admin Assistant: Cindy Cannon office@woccdoc.org

Music Director: Dr. Ronald Manning ronald_manning@att.net

Youth Director: Rachael Hopkins

Pianist: Rosa McCroskey

Praise Band Leader: Ben Frantz

Praise Band Members: Brett Hawk, Cheyenne Pursley, and Natalie Griffin

Sound Technician: Alex Wilkinson & Charles Hogan

Custodian: Lawrence Johnson

Nursery Attendants: Shaylee White and Janet Harper

ATTENDANCE GIVING

3/3 9 AM 28 11 AM 66 General $2,945.00 Blessing

Fund $25.00

2/24 9 AM 42 11 AM 88 General $3,582.00 Blessing

Fund $50.00

10/7 9 AM 32 11 AM 84 General $5,034.00

Blessing

Fund $75.00

«Name»

«Address»

«City»