Dearly beloved,The Gospel this coming Sunday is the passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel about the wheat and the tares (13:24-30, BCP p. 116). Put another way, it is about good plants and weeds. If you have ever gardened, you know that the weeds can choke out your good plants so quickly that you might not recognize your garden if you leave it alone too much. But in the Gospel, the gardener says to those who would help him to go ahead and leave the garden alone until harvest time and the weeds will get sorted out from the good plants then. Doesn’t make much sense except when you think of the gardener as God. The good plants and the weeds, the wheat and the tares, are the good and evil that are ever present in individuals and society. The harvest time is the Day of Judgment. Those of us who would help God in the work of His kingdom must be patient and understand that He will make the decision as to who will enter there. This parable is a caution to us so that we don’t try to make that judgment, which is His alone, so that we might not destroy accidentally any “wheat” we may come across. If you were here at the church this past Sunday, you saw that the new rails leading up to the side door of the church have been installed. Also, the ramp leading up to our entrance doors has been leveled out, reducing any trip hazard that may have been there. So these two safety issues have been addressed. If any of you see something that might possibly be a safety issue, please do let a vestry member know so we can deal with it.
Welcome
We welcome to our fellowship Claude Smith. Claude has actually just returned to us. He was a member here back in the 1980s when this parish moved from temporary quarters to our permanent location here on McDowell Rd. We are blessed to have him back with us after these many years. Welcome aboard, Claude!
First Friday KidsOur young people will gather tomorrow night, Feb. 3, at the church at 6:30 for their monthly gathering. Be sure to bring your kids out. Men’s BreakfastThe men of the church will have their regular gathering at Mills River Restaurant this coming Saturday, Feb. 4, at 8:30 a.m. All you guys out there…please come out and join us. We always have a great time just “hanging out” together. Adult Sunday SchoolThis past Sunday, we started our discussion of symbolism in the church. It began with a history of church buildings/worship space in the early Church and this week we will move on to what Christians began to build when they came out of the shadow of persecution. Lenten Fish FryTicket packets will be available this coming Sunday. See the announcements below for details. LentIf I am mentioning the Lenten Fish Fry, you know that Lent must be close and it will be upon us before we know it. In fact Ash Wednesday is less than 4 weeks away on March 1. Don’t let Lent catch you unawares! Gentle ReminderDon’t forget food for the hungry! Bring in non-perishable food and place it in the food basket in the Narthex. Daily Bread in Transylvania County is this month’s recipient.All your announcements are below and don’t forget to use the prayer lists at the left. And we have another new member of the parish. Check out who it is in the left sidebar of this email. Blessings to you all and see you in church on Sunday. Fr. Erich
Announcements
Food Bank
· Bread of Life in Transylvania County is this month’s recipient of our in-gathering of food stuffs.
Ladies of All Saints Meeting & Luncheon
· The Ladies will next meet on February 18 at 11:00 a.m. for a meeting and luncheon. Remember, if you are a woman, you are automatically a member of this most active ministry!
Altar Guild
· The altar guild will meet on February 18 at 9:30 a.m.
Lenten Quiet Day
· We will host a Lenten Quiet Day for our deanery on March 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Fr. Gregory Miller, Rector of St. Matthew’s Church in Weaverville will be our Quiet Day leader. The theme of the day is “Breaking the Sin Barrier: Responding to God’s Grace in Christ Jesus.” Lunch will be provided. There is no cost but a love offering will be taken to thank Fr. Miller for his gift to us.
Lenten Fish Fry
· It‘s that time again! On Friday, March 24, we will hold our Lenten Fish Fry, Tickets are $9.00 each in advance ($10 at the door) for breaded tilapia filets, roasted potatoes, hush puppies, coleslaw, and iced tea or lemonade. Take-out will be from 5-6 PM and dine-in will run from 6-8 PM. Kids under 12 eat free. Ticket packets are available now.
· And you know that we need your help to make this a success. We ask that you sign out 10 tickets and sell them to your friends, or just buy them and hand them out to folks, to introduce them to our parish.
Tuesday Book Study
· Our Tuesday Book Study is continuing with the study of Mere Christianity.
Bible Study
· Bible Study this week will continue with Chapter 12 in the Book of Revelation with the events subsequent to the sounding of the 7th Trumpet.
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