BETHLEHEM LUTHERAN CHURCH

During Lent our congregation has been taking an offering at the Mid-Week services for the cause of alleviating hunger here and abroad. It is estimated 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger. Much closer to home in Skagit County, 15% of households deal with food insecurity, meaning they do not have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food on a regular basis. Suffice to say even the USA, one of the richest countries in the world, we have

I didn't grow up with Lent as part of my Christian practice. In fact, the church where I was raised did very little even for Holy Week. Lent was very new to me when I started attending a Lutheran College. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Kids in the campus ministry program asked one another "what are you giving up?" and I felt confused and uncomfortable. But I decided to give up caffeine to try to fit in. I was in college. I lasted about two days. Len