Palm Sunday

We were all in awe today as we walked into the church.

The Zach family had the church looking beautiful for

Palm Sunday.    (Click on pictures to enlarge)

Pastor Blaine had Grace, Karlee and Macey up front during the children’s

sermon explaining to them about the palm branches.

 

Mrs. Zach's Sunday School Class

 

Ethan Maybee, Grace Zach, Macey Graham and Karlee Graham.

Learning about Easter and the symbolism of the butterfly.

In the church the butterfly has long been a symbol of the resurrection

of Christ as well as the resurrection of believers. The reason why is

the caterpillar disappears into a cocoon which is like the tomb that

Christ lay in after the crucifixion appearing dead.  Later it emerges

from “death” having transformed into something more beautiful that it was.

The butterfly symbol is seen especially around Easter the Christian

holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  But the

butterfly is also a symbol of every Christian*s hope of resurrection

from the dead.

Congratulations Jan Zach

 

Sunday we helped Jan celebrate his retirement from Elster American Meter

in Nebraska City where he had been employed for 30 years.

Here is Jan with his family, son Aaron, daughter Sarah, granddaughter Grace, and his wife Mary.

You can click on the pictures to enlarge.

Jan is looking forward to his retirement as he will now have time to add to his scale

model trains and track and can continue to build his model of hometown Percival as

he watches the trains go by.  It is a wonderful replica of his hometown with lots of

added familiar homes and memories.

Congratulations on your retirement Jan. We wish you tons of happiness in the years ahead!

Announcements

March 19th Wendy’s Birthday Gathering 11:30 a.m.

March 21st- The Silver Skylarks 4H club is holding an Easter egg hunt at the Percival Park at 10:00 a.m.  Also there will be a Hometown Pride Breakfast at the Fire Hall from 7:30 to 10:00 a.m.  Pancakes, sausage, biscuit and gravy…yum!  Free will offering.

Also on March 21st from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. there will be an auction and spaghetti feed at the Nebraska City Eagles Club in memory of Violet Berry’s daughter Shirley, who recently passed away because of cancer.

March 22nd  Bible Study 5:00 p.m.

March 23rd  Care Givers Support Group 7:00 p.m.  Sidney Ambassador

March 27th at 7:30 p.m. the Nishnabotna Middle School presents the play “Lady Pirates of Captain Bree.”

March 29th  Palm Sunday       Palm Sunday Breakfast 8:30 a.m.  Jan will be flipping his famous pancakes! Bring a covered dish and join us for breakfast.

March 29th—April 4th  Holy Week

April 2nd  7:00 p.m.  Maundy Thursday Communion

From The Secretary

A traditional rite of hope and faith for the approaching springtime:
ordering seeds for the coming garden season.  Looking ahead to warm
sunshine and chirpy birds, turning soil, lively colorful blossoms, the
smells of grass and sweaty labor with the yard tools.  I want
hollyhocks, to stand tall and sway in the breeze, as well as for
experimental fiber dyeing, and zinnias, too, in honor of the dog (named
Zinnia), as well as for their lively colors, and more experimenting with
dyeing fiber.  I am going to attend to my plants this year, instead of
letting them keel over from lack of attention.
*The church also looks forward to spring by celebrating our Christian
faith in our activities, first thanking St. Patrick for ridding Ireland
of snakes by a fellowship after the service on Sunday, March 15th.  On
Palm Sunday, the 29th, Jan Zach will be at the griddle for the Pancake
Breakfast (be advised to bring a supplemental dish for all to enjoy). 
Then on the 2nd of April, Maundy Thursday, at 7 p.m., there is the Seder
meal lovingly prepared by Pastor Blaine.  All this leads to the Easter
Service on April 5th, a special moment to glorify and thank the Lord for
his sacrifice because of his love of mankind, the special, colorful
human beings he holds in his infinite grasp, a bouquet of a different
order than what is planted in our garden, but which He holds so dearly
for God*s glory.
*So be ready for the sights, smells, and touch of spring, the Lenten
sacrifice gnawing in the stomach, wafting odors of bacon and syrup, a
slithering snake disappearing in the bushes, an ascetic meal that
prepares our hearts for worship, or a brilliant light shining down upon
us.  Praise and thank the Lord.
  From Marcia Little, Board Secretary

Pastor’s Thoughts