107 Concord Road, Wayland Massachusetts 01778

And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them.  Mark 9: 3

Sunday we turn out of the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany side of the year,  into the Lent/Easter/Pentecost side. Transfiguration is the turn from Epiphany to Lent (Christ the King Sunday is the turn from Pentecost to Advent).Transfiguration, like Christ the King, gathers in members of the team. Mark says that as Peter James and John were bedazzled, Moses and Elijah chatted with Jesus. We’ll talk about this scene on Sunday and try to expand the meaning of it so that we might feel some of the transfiguring power. It’s going to be another snowy Sunday. That means a good day to talk about fishing. Right? We’ll talk about those fishermen shown off-balance above who were a little out of their depth on the mountain of transfiguration. Also, I have a poem to read to you.Ash Wednesday services at 9 am and 7:30 pm. You will hear the “charge” of Lent and receive ashes on your forehead.

Remember to plan your Lenten discipline. Milly Engberg asked me to order some Lenten devotionals. They are on the table in the narthex.

+A daily devotion might be your Lenten discipline.

+Maybe you will start an exercise routine or go on a diet.

+You might give up something–activity, habit, routine–that does not bring you closer to God or closer to other people.

+At Peace we will continue planning for our garden. This will be one of our congregation’s Lenten projects

+You might make a special offering to Peace during the season of Lent.

+You could bring in one nonperishable food item for the Wayland Food Pantry for every week of Lent.

+Family Promise begins in two weeks. Supporting this core program of our church might be one of your Lenten projects. Certainly Family Promise brings us closer to other people and serves Christ.

+During Lent some members of our congregation will look at renewing their prayer lives.

+Confirmation students will meet Wednesday evenings, beginning Ash Wednesday.

+Wayland interfaith intern Melissa Rudd will lead Sunday afternoon discussions on empathy. Those of you who took part in the discussion with Melissa two weeks ago got a preview of the discussion material.

+Think of something else. If you tell me what you plan to do or not do, I’ll cheer you on, pray for you, and check in with you from time to time to see how your discipline is going.

Pour out your Holy Spirit, the power of your living Word, that those who are washed in the waters of baptism may be given new life.  ELW

As children of God and children of the earth, we are born in water. The earth is a planet of water. Water is the powerful, persistent, force in the earth and in our lives. Water with the word of God is the beginning of life. Water with the word of God makes baptism, our sacrament of birth and belonging to the church and to creation.

The Protestant Reformers, with Luther first among them, made water the basis of their reforms of the Christian church. We always hear that the Reformation was a return to the word of God against the Church of Rome,  an institution heavy with ordinances, rules and traditions of human creation. The Reformation was a return to water and to the word of God. On Sunday listen carefully to the words of the prayer right before the baptism in water. It is sometimes called the flood prayer. Let it wash over you.

Sunday morning Diane Burke and Harrison Burke will be baptized. The Burke family will join the church. We welcome them warmly and are happy that they will now be members of our church family.  In the afternoon Arianna Zorilla will be baptized. You are invited back to church for this.

Our Family Promise host weeks begin Sunday. Thanks to all of you for pitching in. The coordinators do a lot of working keeping this program on track.

Please remember to bring in items for Thomas Brennan’s Lutheran World Relief Eagle Scout project: new bath-size soaps, combs, toothbrushes and bath towels.

This Sunday our two high school confirmands, Leah Scheidemantel and Nicole Canning, will take part in the baptismal service. On November 2 Leah and Nicole will affirm their baptismal faith and become adult members of the church. I hope that you will all reach out to Leah and Nicole with blessings, cards, whatever you think is appropriate. Welcome them into our congregation as adults.

These are our Family Promise weeks. Hours and hours are spent by the coordinators before, during and after these weeks. From what I hear from them, it’s joyful service for Kim and Kim, Mary Ann, Libby and the other coordinators. Members of Peace give their time all through the week. The wider community comes into our building. It makes me happy to see them all. Yesterday I met new folks from the Islamic Center and from Temple Shir Tikva who were here cleaning and setting up under the direction of the coordinators. Neighbors who live across the street from Kirsten and me in Sudbury came to help with the set-up; they are members of Shir Tikva. This morning the Wayland Building Inspector was here. Kim Canning had been in contact with him. He took time to think about the human dimensions of the program as he inspected the building. The building feels different in these Family Promise weeks. It feels like a church all week long.

Leah and Nicole participated in the baptism service for Diane and Harry last Sunday. They read the list of responsibilities that describe an adult Christian life. Parents and sponsors promise to be responsible for these things on behalf of a child. The congregation provides the community for support. Confirmation is the way the church says to a young person: you are now an adult member of the church. Confirmation is the student publicly affirming 1.) the “belonging” of baptism and the 2.) responsibility of a Christian life.

Parents, a number of you signed up for the Beehive Art project during the Sunday school hour. The project will be Advent Wreaths to take home. If you have not signed up for the project let Kim Canning know.

An adult forum on campus ministry follows the service. Kari Jo will help us think about the place of faith development in the lives of students.

In November we turn to messages of stewardship. Your Christian commitment makes claims on the use of your time and resources and offers you guidance and support for the same. The stewardship of your life (how you choose to live)  has a direct effect on the church. Time spent and money given by all of you creates our church community. As important as the time you give and the money you offer is the spirit in which you give them. If you give of yourself and of your money begrudgingly or with resentment, that will be noticed. If you give of yourself happily, and give your money thankfully, that spirit is infectious. Other people are helped by your cheerfulness.

This long-running program of Lutheran World Relief is the Eagle project for Sudbury Boy Scout Thomas Brennan. Thanks to all of you for bringing in soap, towels, toothbrushes and nail clippers. The collection box will be there for a few weeks.