A Note From Pastor H.D.

Hey Temple, let’s celebrate our Resurrected Savior by participating in LENT. It’s an opportunity to have a concentrated focus on Jesus by giving up something. Now don’t be silly and give up “Hershey bars with almonds” or “cherry vanilla coke” only to eat Hershey bars with a regular coke. Be serious and give up something of significance - maybe a meal or social media or tv / radio. Every day we want to remember our ABCs well at least our “PQRs”. That stands for Prayer, Quit (whatever your fasting), Read. For 40 days (excluding Sundays) we will as a congregation commit to Pray, Quit something, and to Read the scriptures and devotions in this magazine. (We have provided a checkbox on each day of Lint to help you stay on track.) What does God want to show   us or teach us? I don’t know but I’m excited to find out.  Lent begins Wednesday, March 2.                               
Grace, Mercy, Peace,                                    
Pastor HD & Susan

LENT English word (stemming from an Anglo-Saxon word for “spring” and related to the English word “lengthen”) that refers to the penitential period preceding Easter. Early Christians felt that the magnitude of the Easter celebration called for special preparation. As early as the second century, many Christians observed several days of fasting as part of that preparation. Over the next few centuries, perhaps in remembrance of Jesus’ fasting for 40 days in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–2), 40 days became the accepted length of the Lenten season. Since, from the earliest years of Christianity, it had been considered inappropriate to fast on the day of the resurrection, Sundays were not counted in the 40 days. Thus, the Wednesday 46 days before Easter came to be regarded as the beginning of Lent.
(Fred A. Grissom, "Lent," ed. Chad Brand et alll, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 1025.}