Pastoral note, from Garrett

Lent begins next week. We will have our annual Ash Wednesday service on March 5 at 6 p.m. in the Atrium. Ash Wednesday kicks off Lent (the season that prepares us for Easter), focusing on repentance.

Next Tuesday night is our annual Pancake Supper and Potluck. Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday is commemorated the day before Lent. This was a time when people traditionally emptied the house of “fats” before their Lenten fast. This year, our pancake supper is a potluck. We encourage you to bring yogurt, fruits, breakfast meats, or egg dishes to share. The church will provide the pancakes and drinks. This event is for all ages. It’s also a time for us to get to know our ESL community better.

I am in Charleston, SC, this week, meeting with my pastoral peer group. You’ve probably heard me talk about this group before; we call our group the “Dear Friends” (There’s a story to the name that I won’t bore you with). This is a group of pastors of churches similar to Woodland. Most of us have known each other since our time together at Wake Forest Divinity School— the only one who didn’t go to Wake Div was the Demon Deacons mascot while he was an undergrad. I’ve been meeting with this group for almost 10 years. We’ve worked on sermons together, managed building projects, and helped each other grow as leaders. I’m grateful that Woodland has supported me in this vocational development.

See you Sunday. It’s the “Feast of the Transfiguration.” What do we do, and how do we make sense of life’s holy moments? Why don’t they come around more often? 
Grace and peace,
Garrett Vickrey