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15I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

-Ephesians 1:15-23

Ascension Day is not one that we celebrate often or even really think about much. The Scriptures for the day are some of the most comforting words we read in the Bible, though. Jesus leaves the disciples, yes, but with words of commission, a blessing, and a promise.

The Ephesians reading is a profound word of hope for anyone who is suffering hard times or feeling overwhelmed by their circumstances.

We know that we are adopted as God’s children, as the author of Ephesians tells us in the start of his letter. In the passage quoted above, he tells us that the very power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in us, empowering us in our daily lives. We lay our hope in this amazing power of God, even when we feel separated from God or abandoned.

Prayer: Christ, in you alone our hope is found. Help us, every day, to sense your presence in such a way that we will never doubt that you are with us. You surround us with your love always. May we pass that hope and love on to all around us. Amen.

God Bless You,

Pastor Anna

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Last week, Chris and Missy Paul went to Hastings for a gleaning opportunity with the Society of Saint Andrews (SoSA).They bagged tons of potatoes to be delivered to multiple agencies in Ocala and Orlando.

The field was owned by the University of Florida and their agriculture department. They are unable to sell this produce and welcome the opportunity to make sure that it does not go to waste.

Missy says, “It was a great experience and I think we’ll do it again soon!”

Spring harvesting is still happening in our area! Through SoSA, volunteer gleaners are utilized to pick leftover produce from harvested fields and/or to bag the crops for donation. Mandarin Lutheran church has been part of the gleaning system for several years. It is a rewarding “hands on” way to serve God in our community!

To become a gleaner:

Register to be a gleaning volunteer at the Society of St. Andrews (SoSA) website https://endhunger.org/serve/
After registering, go to the SoSA calendar to view and sign up for gleanings
Contact Sue Brown outreach@mandarinlutheran.org to arrange an MLC carpool.

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We are excited to announce that after careful consideration, Mandarin Lutheran Church has moved back to in-person worship services.

While we are meeting in-person once again, strict social distancing and other COVID precautionary measures will be in place to insure the safety of all.

Join us for a 9 a.m. informal service, or a more traditional service at 11 a.m.

We are asking that individuals who wish to attend in-person worship sign up here.

For those not yet ready to worship in-person, you can view weekly recorded services here.

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FOOD BANK – We will be collecting food donations to benefit the Mandarin Food Bank during Lent.

POP TOPS – Please save and donate pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House. Collected pop tabs are recycled, generating much-needed funds to support the House and the nearly 5,000 families served each year.

BOX TOPS – Please clip and donate Box Tops for Education to benefit local schools.

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Wednesday, February 17 at 7:00 p.m., drive in worship service will include the imposition of ashes.

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To help us continue to gather safely, we will have drive-in worship services every Sunday in Lent (weather permitting). Join us at 9:30 AM on February 14, 21, 28, March 7, 14, 21 and Palm Sunday on March 28.

To protect all participants during this pandemic, masks and social distancing is strictly observed during the services. Please follow the directions of the parking and worship team when you join us. Should you need to leave your vehicle for any reason, please wear a mask and maintain a distance of at least six feet from others.

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