This year, Lent begins on Valentine’s Day. 

In many ways this seems a strange conjunction of the sacred and the secular; will we see people with roses and chocolates, and ashy crosses on their foreheads? Or is there a way in which the two very different meanings of the day can inform each other?

Lent commemorates the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness after his baptism, at the end of which he was tempted to use his power for its own sake, rather than for the sake of God. So, traditionally, Christians fast during this time to acknowledge the practices or things that distract us from the ways God is working in our lives. We cut out the things that we prioritize over God and over the creation of the just and loving world that God hopes for us. Lent calls us to remember our mortality, to ground ourselves in the finite human existence that we all share, as a way to sharpen our focus on God. 

But how do we stand in relationship to God, if not by loving one another, and all of this Creation? 

Traditionally, Valentine’s Day has been about romantic love, which is interesting because that sort of love isn’t really part of St. Valentine’s story. Rather, Valentine was an early evangelist, who called the people into relationship with God… who called people to a love that isn’t about romance, but about how we care for one another, how we use what we have for the sake of the Gospel.

So perhaps the questions that this February 14th raises for us are about how we use this one brief life that we’re given to build the world that God desires for us? And what distracts us from this love? Where are we tempted to use what we have for our own sake, rather than for the sake of loving all that God has made, being in relationship with all who bear God’s image? How does the awareness of our own mortality call us to deeper love and grace; how does the awareness of our belovedness call us to more profound relationships with one another and with God? 

May this Lent be a blessing to us, that we might live our lives in a way that pours love out into this world, not just for a day or a season, but always.

Keep an eye out for the upcoming Lenten Soup Dinner

 Thank You – From Our Hearts

This Thank-You is late, but sometimes it just takes time to digest events, and that has certainly been the case with us these past two weeks. 

Muff and I were nearly rendered speechless by our Church Service Award on 28 January. I cannot tell you how much we appreciate this distinguished honor, and in a church like ours, What an Honor. To be listed with some of our favorite people and folks who continue, every day, to hit it out of the park for this wonderful Congregation just makes me feel proud to be amongst them.

You honor us beyond our wildest dreams, and as appreciative as we are, we know that there are many others of you out there, behind the scenes, under the radar, that so totally deserve this recognition as well. Thank you. Thank you.

John Walker & Muff Kruse

The Travails of Travel -Lunch and Learn

On Wed, Feb. 29 at Noon, meet in Church Hall to hear a member of our church community, Mary Carpenter, talk with us about the travails of her many experiences while traveling. Mary Carpenter lived in Turkey for ten years. During that time she traveled both in and outside of Turkey. Hijacked planes, snowy mountain passes, and difficult border crossings are all part of that experience. 

A Lively Display

Take a walk through the elevator lobby of our church and you will be

rewarded with a trip through time. Photos and memorabilia from our church's

Educational Ministries past are sure to bring a smile to your face. You may see

some familiar faces if you have deep roots here. Spend some time examining

artifacts from last century - all the way back to 1910! Photos, pamphlets,

manuals, and handmade creations paint a portrait of how church life has evolved

over a large swath of our nearly 200 year old history. The display is colorful and

artfully arranged, and speaks to the vitality of our church both past and present.

Wear your coat - it's a chilly space - but well worth the detour!

Muff Kruse

for Educational Ministries

A Message From Carmen Deyarmond in the Church Office:

Thank you for being so welcoming to me as I learn my new role as the new Communications Associate. Please send all emails for the News Blast, Tower Tidings, or any other information send to churchoffice@laconiaucc.org

Women's Breakfast: February 21st 8:30am

Water Street Cafe

Please RSVP to Betty Burgstrom at bettobergstrom@gmail.com

Men's Breakfast: February 23rd 8:00am

Water Street Cafe

Come and Worship

We welcome and invite you to worship with us in any of these ways. 

!!! In Person !!! at 9:30 AM, or via Livestream

●      Via livestream through YouTube Sundays starting at 9:20 AM:

Go to YouTube and search for Congregational Church of Laconia

●      On our website www.laconiaucc.org any day and any time.

●      On Public Access TV Channel 25 Sundays at 4pm and 9:30pm

or Mondays at 5am.

If you are new to the church, please introduce yourself! Let the Church Office know if we can help you in any way! 603-524-0668. Seeking to be the church God desires for us to be.

Congregational Church of Laconia, UCC | 18 Veterans Square, Laconia, NH | 603.524.0668