- - St. Andrews Parish United Methodist Church The Reverend Brad Gray, Pastor 3225 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414 843.766.1080 / [email protected] / www.standrewsparishumc.org FEB. 2013 Pastor’s Posngs ............... 1 Ash Wednesday ................ 2 Youth Group ...................... 2 Ray’s Reflecons ............... 2 Announcements ................ 3 Lenten Services ................. 4 Love Banquet .................... 4 Birthdays/Anniversaries .... 4 Calendar ............................ 5 SUNDAY SERVICEs : 8:45 am Praise & Worship 10:00 am Sunday School 11:15 am Traditional Worship z z z OFFICE HOURS : Monday—Thursday, 8:oo am to 4:45 pm, Closed Fridays & Holidays Pastor’s Postings W God Gathers Us W To Worship Together W To Care for One Another W To Become God's Love for the World Please give address updates to the church office. If you would like your address removed from the mailing list, please let us know by phone, email, or return mail. Thank you. Basic Arithmetic Can you believe that Lent is right around the corner? It seems like we were just taking our journey to the manger to celebrate Christ’s birth, and now we begin the long and arduous journey to the cross and Jesus’ death. This year’s liturgical calendar has hardly allowed us to catch our breath from one wonderful season to the next. My hopes are that you will find the Lenten season as a time for real reflection as we look at the story of Jesus being betrayed, led to his crucifixion and death, and finally in glorious celebration of his resurrection. Included in this newsletter is a scripture reading guide for the Passion story. Taking the three Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, we have broken it down chronologically to look in depth at the story of Jesus’ last few days of his pre- Resurrection life here on earth. I hope you will consider walking this journey alongside me this season. When I think of Lent, like many of you, I always ask myself, “What am I going to give up this year?” While I have been bouncing around this idea in my head, I have come up with a few things that really need to go in my life. While I am not certain which I will choose, I am sure that I will do some kind of subtracting when February 13th rolls around. As I pondered this same question a few years ago, a friend made a suggestion that I now practice. He said, “Why don’t you try adding something this year?” Since that time one thing I have added is a daily writing that I call, “Lenten Love”. Each day I compose a piece that are simply my thoughts that are meant to inspire and encourage. If you would like to receive an email from me each day during Lent entitled Lenten Love, simply email me at [email protected]. Put “Lenten Love” in the subject line and I will add you to the list. I will also be posting them on our blog: Recreating With the Reverends Gray, plus Two. You can find it at www.thereverendsgray.blogspot.com. Be warned, I haven’t written in nearly a year, but the thing I am adding to my life this year during Lent is a renewed interest in our blog. I suppose that when Lent comes around (Continued on page 2….)
this year and I do a little adding and subtracting, the
goal is always that my life would be multiplied in
some way, so that I begin, or continue to begin over
and over again, in becoming the man that God
wants me to be. I truly believe that God has desires
for each of us, and it is during times like Lent, that
we become intentional in living into our God-
preferred futures. Will you join me this Lenten
season, as we reflect, as we learn and as we grow
together into all that God wants us to be.
Blessings and Peace,
Ray’s reflections
Blessings, Ray Ray LeTellier, Co-Lay Leader
Seeing Charleston through the eyes of a 16 year old,
from Costa Rica, visiting the USA for the first time
was a real experience. I was reminded that we need
to see life through new eyes.
We need to see life through God's eyes, then we will
see the light, the hope, the joy and the beauty that
surrounds us!
"“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that "“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that "“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that
is beautiful, for beauty is God's handwritingis beautiful, for beauty is God's handwritingis beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting———a a a
wayside sacrament.wayside sacrament.wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, Welcome it in every fair face, Welcome it in every fair face,
in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and
thankthankthank GodGodGod for it as a cup of blessing."for it as a cup of blessing."for it as a cup of blessing."
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
Pastor BradRev. Brad Gray, Pastor <><
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Our 3D Youth Group will meet one time, on February 10th at 5pm to plan for Revolution which will be February 15th- 17th in Columbia.
The group will not meet again until March. Stay tuned for details.
Email Chain! We have two email chains at St. Andrews —one
for Prayer Requests and the other for
announcements, etc., called Life Line. If you’d like to join, just send an email to
