Lutheran Study Bible

Happy Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday/Shrove Tuesday!

Here at CtK we are gearing up for the evening's festivities: Pancake Supper from 5:30-6:30pm and all kinds of silly goofiness from 6:30-7:30pm. Come when you can and leave when you need to - it's going to be GREAT! (cake walk, limbo, crafts, jokes, pies-in-the-face to raise money for the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans this summer).

Of course today doesn't make sense all on its own. Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday celebrations exist only because of Ash Wednesday, which is tomorrow. Today is just our last day of preparation for tomorrow and the whole season of Lent - a season of returning to our lives as baptized disciples, with renewed focus on the disciplines/practices of our faith: prayer, fasting, alms-giving, and self-denial, to name just a few. We spend these days remembering Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, his betrayal and crucifixion.

It's fairly common to hear church folks talk about what they're going to "give up for Lent." Giving something up for Lent can be a wonderful practice, if it gives you time, space or other resources to focus on your faith or serve others. Some of us also talk about "adding something for Lent" - like a new time for prayer and Bible reading, or volunteering in a ministry that can use our gifts.

I'm hoping people will turn again to their Bibles during this season. In just a few days Augsburg Fortress, the publishing house of the ELCA, will have new "Lutheran Study Bibles." We pre-ordered several here in the church office - swing by and check them out (call first to make suer they've arrived!). Or go online here and see the new Study Bible sampler. Enjoy!