OUR WEEK-FEBRUARY 26TH - MARCH 3RD

REMINDERS —
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND —Ash Wednesday Service in Casey U.M.C. at 7 P.M.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD —
Birthday Party for Sally Hubbard -New Homestead Social Room, Guthrie Center.
——— Festivities begin at 2:30 ———
Come and wish Sally Happy Birthday!
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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH —
FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT
COLOR: PURPLE

SCRIPTURE READINGS:
GENESIS 9:8-17
(The Message)
God had essentially "uncreated" by "breaking
the firmament," setting loose all of "the waters
above the earth" upon the face of the earth itself.
God makes a covenant with the earth, with Noah
as witness, signified by the rainbow, not to
destroy the earth by flood again.
8 Then God spoke to Noah and his sons:
9 "I'm setting up my covenant with you including your
children who will come after you,
10 along with everything alive around you - birds,
farm animals, wild animals - that came out of the
ship with you.11 I'm setting up my covenant with you that never
again will everything living be destroyed by flood
waters; never again will a flood destroy the Earth."
12 God continued, "This is the sign of the covenant
I am making between me and you and everything
living around you and everyone living after you.
13 I'm putting my rainbow in the clouds, a sign of the
covenant between me and the Earth.14 From now on, when I form a cloud over the Earth
and the rainbow appears in the cloud,
15 I'll remember my covenant between me and you
and everything living, that never again will flood
waters destroy all life.16 When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I'll see
it and remember the eternal covenant between God
and everything living,
every last living creature on Earth."
17 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant
that I've set up between me and everything living
on the Earth."
PSALM 25:1-10 (UMH 756)
(The Message)
Israel seeks God's deliverance from enemies.
Unlike the people destroyed in the flood, Israel
claims it has sought to follow God's way and
wishes to learn it still better.
1 My head is high, God, held high;
2 I'm looking to you, God; No hangdog skulking
for me.
3 I've thrown in my lot with you; You won't
embarrass me, will you? Or let my enemies get
the best of me? Don't embarrass any of us Who
went out on a limb for you. It's the traitors who
should be humiliated.
4 Show me how you work, God; School me in
your ways.
5 Take me by the hand; Lead me down the path of
truth. You are my Savior, aren't you?
6 Mark the milestones of your mercy and love, God;
Rebuild the ancient landmarks!7 Forget that I sowed wild oats; Mark me with your
sign of love. Plan only the best for me, God!
8 God is fair and just; He corrects the misdirected,
Sends them in the right direction.
9 He gives the rejects his hand, And leads them
step-by-step.
10 From now on every road you travel Will take you
to God. Follow the Covenant signs;
Read the charted directions.

1 PETER 3:18-22
(The Message)
Peter links the death and resurrection of Jesus
with the story of Noah's flood and the sacrament
of baptism. The "whelming flood" that destroyed
the earth at the same time buoyed the ark that
rescued Noah, his family, and the
animals with them.
"Good" as Peter uses it here here does not meet
"less than better or best." It means noble, upright,
admirable, virtuous. The cleansing of baptism is
to remake us good, as good as God declared us
to be in creation.
18 That's what Christ did definitively: suffered because
of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous
ones. He went through it all - was put to death and then
made alive - to bring us to God.
19 He went and proclaimed God's salvation to earlier
generations who ended up in the prison of judgment
20 because they wouldn't listen. You know, even
though God waited patiently all the days that Noah
built his ship, only a few were saved then, eight to be exact - saved
from the water by the water.
21 The waters of baptism do that for you, not by
washing away dirt from your skin but by presenting
you through Jesus' resurrection before God with a
clear conscience.
22 Jesus has the last word on everything and
everyone, from angels to armies. He's standing right
alongside God, and what he says goes.

MARK 1:9-15
(The Message)
Immediately after his baptism, the Spirit drives
Jesus into the desert for forty days of testing
surrounded by wild animals, Satan, and
ministering angels - - all to prepare him to
spend his life declaring the good news of the
kingdom of God. Joining Jesus in the
wilderness, and the testing that accompanies it,
also prepares us to be remade and restored to
the goodness God created humanity to be.

9 At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee
and was baptized by John in the Jordan.10 The moment he came out of the water, he saw
the sky split open and God's Spirit, looking like a
dove, come down on him.
11 Along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Son,
chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."
12 At once, this same Spirit pushed Jesus
out into the wild.13 For forty wilderness days and nights he was
tested by Satan.Wild animals were his companions,
and angels took care of him.
14 After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee
preaching the Message of God:
15 "Time's up! God's kingdom is here. Change your
life and believe the Message."
———————————————————————
• STONE SOUP DINNER TODAY IN CASEY U.M.C.
AFTER SERVICE
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH —
This is Pastor Bob's and Naomi's day off.
Office is closed today.≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29TH —
Lenten Services in Adair U.M.C. - at 7 P.M.
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FRIDAY, MARCH 2ND —
That's right folks - - - “MARCH”
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
FUTURE FOCUS —
SUNDAY, MARCH 4TH —
POTATO BAR AFTER SERVICE
IN CASEY EDUCATIONAL WING≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈
SUNDAY, MARCH 4TH —
SUNDAY SCHOOL IN ADAIR U.M.C. -
AFTER SERVICE.
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CHICKEN DINNER WILL BE SUNDAY MORNING
AND COMBINED WORSHIP SERVICES WILL BE
SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 17TH, IN THE
— ADAIR COMMUNITY CENTER - AT 6 P.M. —
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God Bless and Keep You, Pastor Bob