Worship Services are postponed through Palm Sunday.

Lent is a season of 40 days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26 and ends the Saturday before Easter. It is a time of preparation, of self-examination and of reflection as we journey toward the cross. Any of the March date devotions may be a blessing as we move toward Easter.

I was thinking of the words to “Sweet Hour of Prayer” and singing it to myself – thinking how to present my feelings about it in this part of the newsletter. I often get to church with all kinds of things going on in my head – but after choir rehearsal (which is such a joy to me), I ponder about the worship experience as a whole and I am calmed by prayers uplifted by the message, enthralled with “Marisha’s Magic” and the fellowship of such genuine, generous friends in this church. My “sweet hour of prayer” is a blessing to me all week. I wish fervently that anyone reading this could share that blessing with me – no more “I have too much to do”, “I have to work”, “I need the extra rest”, etc. Whatever, it’s only an hour. Give it some thought – you’ll be rewarded. (Not too “preachy”, I hope.)

The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, known as “Mother Emanuel”, was founded in 1816 in Charleston, South Carolina. It is one of the oldest continuous black congregations in the United States. The history of Mother Emanuel is one of perseverance in the face of adversity and racial hostility. An earthquake demolished the building in 1886. Tragedy struck again on the evening of June 17, 2015, a young white man, Dylann Roof, walked into the church and sat down to join the weekly Wednesday Bible study/prayer group. Though a stranger, he was welcomed. After an hour with the group, he shot and killed nine people.