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Dear Buckhall Church Family,
This past Wednesday, we entered the season of Lent. As you know, Lent lasts for 40 days (excluding Sundays) and originates from Jesus’ 40 days of fasting and prayer in the wilderness.
The atmosphere of Lent can feel heavy and sometimes even gloomy. It calls us to reflect on serious realities such as repentance, suffering, mortality, and the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Even the color traditionally associated with Lent—purple—reflects this solemnity. In the Bible, when Jesus was brought before Pilate and mocked by the soldiers, they placed a purple robe on Him, sarcastically calling Him “King of the Jews” (Mark 15:17). Purple was a color of royalty and wealth, so while they intended to mock Him, the color also pointed to His true kingship.
Because of this, purple has come to symbolize both the royalty of Christ and the suffering He endured. During Lent, it reminds us of His sacrifice, His kingship, and the spirit of repentance and preparation that leads us toward Easter.
Without Lent, an essential part of the Christian calendar would be missing—the suffering and death of Jesus. The word “Lent” comes from the Old English lencten, meaning “springtime,” referring to the lengthening of days. In the early church, Lent was a season of spiritual training: fasting, prayer, almsgiving, and preparation for baptism. It was meant to draw believers closer to God and cultivate spiritual discipline.
Without Jesus’ suffering and death, we would be missing something vital—repentance and the forgiveness of sins. These are necessary for salvation and eternal life.
It is important to remember that lament during this season is not merely about expressing emotion. This Lent, we will explore lament as the cry of our souls to God. Lament is an honest expression of our need, our brokenness, our sins, and our hope in God’s faithfulness.
Together, we will discover what it means to walk through the difficult parts of life with honesty before God through the practice of lament. We will learn how crying out to God in our need helps us fully embrace what it means to be human—loved and held by a trustworthy God. Even through the darkest valleys, Jesus goes ahead of us and walks beside us, guiding and comforting us every step of the way.
May this Lent be a season of deep reflection, sincere lament, and renewed faith in the God who loves us unconditionally.
Blessings,
Rev. Han Yi
1. Prayer Request
Todd Levy (Cheryl Wedel’s family member) who is fighting esophageal cancer.
A friend of Amy’s who was in a car accident, and the girlfriend is in critical condition in the hospital.
Fred Wright & Family (Shirly Pearson’s dad) we pray as he passed away Monday.
Mrs. Hambric (Anna’s mother) as her cancer has returned, and she has to start treatment again
Ann Crider & Family (Connie Hepler’s mom) we pray as she passed away January 22nd.
We pray for the lonely and those learning to cope with the recent loss of a loved one.
On-Going Prayer Requests
Prayers for Jenny Sledjeski who is in critical care and in a medically induced coma.
Prayers for Kathy Clark who is dealing with arthritis, osteoporosis, and a difficult situation.
Prayers for Ann Baker as she undergoes radiation treatments.
Prayers for Robert DeVera & Family while they deal with Bobby’s cancer diagnosis.
Prayers for Aida Rosario’s Family (Jorge Rosario’s mother) as she has passed away.
Prayers for Beatriz Dominguez (A friend of the Rosario’s) who is battling Brain Cancer at 30.
Prayers for Betty (Donna Obeldobel’s mother) for healing.
Prayers for Louis Bowman as he recovers after surgery.
Prayers for Ken Lafferty for continued healing.
Prayers for JoAnn Lafferty for healing and strength for her and as she takes care of Ken.
Prayers for Cheryl Wedel for continued and quick recovery from knee replacement surgery.
Prayers for Chris Korzendorfer’s Grandson (18) who is waiting for a heart transplant.
Prayers for Alex (a neighbor’s kid of Amy’s) who was in a bad car accident and broke her legs.
Prayers for Ruben Ellias & Family, who has been put on Hospice for glioblastoma.
Prayers for Joe M. for healing of his brain tumor.
Prayers for Leonard Strum (Cheryl Wedel’s Uncle) who is in critical care for congestive heart failure and complications.
Prayers for Preston Norberg (Cathy Norberg’s father-in-law) who has pneumonia & congestive heart failure
Prayers for Wayne Barrett in the hopes that his health improves.
Prayers for Jessica and daughter Allison Busch as they undergo hard times.
Prayers for Tom Dagenhart and his diagnosis of Stage 4 Lung Cancer.
Prayers for Ed Looney for health issues, and Jan Beauchamp, who is lovingly caring for him.
Prayers for John Collins who has health issues.
Prayers for all in the Middle East and on-going wars in the word.
Church Members:
Those who are currently hospitalized or have recently been discharged.
Those who have recently lost a loved one.
For unspoken prayers.
Please take a moment to pray if you are available.
If your prayer request has been answered or if you have a new prayer request, please let Pastor Han know at pastorhan@buckhallchurch.org so that it can be removed due to an answered prayer or added to the prayer list.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
2. Celebration of Life for Frederick Wright
There will be Celebration of Life for Fred Wright, beloved husband of Eleanor Wright, father of Shirley, and father-in-law of John Pearson.
The service will be held on Saturday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary at Buckhall UMC, followed by a reception in the Fellowship Hall.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to Buckhall UMC.
Service details and obituary will be announced as soon as they are ready.
Please keep the Wright and Pearson families in your prayers during this time.
3. Men Serving for Second Sunday Fellowship
The Board would like to encourage all men to take the lead in preparing refreshments and handling clean-up for fellowship after worship on the second Sunday of each month. For many years, the women in our community have faithfully served in this way, and we believe it is both right and meaningful for the men to now step forward and share in that responsibility.
We will begin on March 8, the second Sunday of March. We look forward to everyone’s support and participation as we work together in service to our community.
4. Sunday Morning Bible Study | 8:30 - 9:30 am
Please join us in the Gathering Room Sunday's before service for a six week study in the book “The Message of Jesus”. For any questions please contact Amy Rogers at amyrogers7429@gmail.com
5. Monday Night Bible Study | 7:30 – 8:30 pm
Join us for a five-week Bible study on the book of Ruth, focusing on God in the Ordinary. We’ll cover one chapter per week, using our Bibles and Bible Project videos for the first session as an introduction. For questions, contact Brian Maceyak at bmaceyak@verizon.net.
6. Giant Food Collection Announcement
There will be Giant Food Collection on April 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
More details and volunteer information will be available soon.
7. Bingo at Quarry Station
All are invited to join us for fellowship and bingo on Saturday February 28th from 3:00 to 5:00 as we connect with the senior residents at Quarry Station. Located at 8750 Quarry Road, Manassas, just a short drive from Buckhall. For questions you can contact Sarah Maceyak, Mary Catlett, or Susan Hunter.
8. Scripture Reading for this Sunday
Scripture: Why Lament | Psalm 13 (NIV)
In Lent, lament invites us to face our humanity. Lament is a natural part of our faithful, loving response to a world marked by sin and brokenness.
Psalm 13[a]
A psalm of David.
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Han Yi
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