News

On the First Sunday of Lent, February 22nd, we are starting the Lent Devotionals conversations in the Commons.

We are going to meet every Sunday of Lent, at 10 am. 

Pick up your copy of “The Work of Imagination”, our Lenten devotional. You can find it on the table at the entrance to the Sanctuary.

If you’d like to receive the devotional via email, click here.

If more paper copies are needed, please send an email to [email protected]. 

Pancake Supper | 6 pm | Fellowship Hall 

Ash Wednesday Service | 7 pm | Sanctuary 

Come catch up over the aroma of pancakes, bacon, and sausage cooking on the griddle.

Wanna help make pancakes? Join us at 5:15pm!

Supper will start at 6.

And our service will begin at 7.

8 – 10 am | Church Driveway 

We’re doing a new thing! Stop by the church “on the way” for ashes, prayer, and holy conversation from 8-10 am. 

Dear Members, Friends, Siblings, All,

Remember this? Do you see a young woman or a more wizened woman? (Yes, I chose that more appropriate adjectival construction.) Can you see both? What do you see?

Our gospel reading in Matthew 17:1-9 is that writer’s telling of the Transfiguration, a moment when his (new) followers see the face and figure of Jesus in all the glory of God. It is a moment that today’s special effects, AI and computer generated graphics could have a field day with. Alas, those disciples had only the transfigured face of Jesus, in the glorious company of Moses and Elijah. Not bad for a carpenter’s kid of ambiguous parentage.

As it happens, that blinding, mountain top moment was only part of the challenge. Peter, James and John are instructed not to speak of it until after the Resurrection. Bummer, yes? What did they see that they weren’t to talk about or  make sense of (somehow) together? Perhaps Jesus was insisting that they “just be with that for a while,” as my friend Paul used to say. Hence, Lent?

Of course, I have a few thoughts about this which you will hear about when we gather for worship on Sunday.

Transfiguration Sunday is always the last Sunday in Epiphany, the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, February 18, beginning the Season of Lent. Which, of course, is the road we take to Easter or Resurrection Sunday. In Matthew’s gospel, Chapter 17 comes just after Jesus foretells his death and the trials in Jerusalem where he must go, and “(f)rom that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples” what he could about how his followers [us] bring the kin-dom and glory of God into our world (Matthew 16:21). 

Come be with us on Sunday, extend your Valentine’s Day celebration to the LOVE of God we know in Christ Jesus and the congregation of God’s people for one more day. (This is our celebration, not inspired by or dependent upon commercial interests.) We will sing and pray and praise and give thanks in the ways we hope will give us the courage and imagination to love and serve fearlessly. 

And we will be prepared afresh to do the business of Central Church in a congregation meeting just after worship. Please make your plans to stay. Copies of the documents needed are in the Enews and in print as you enter the sanctuary. 

Love and hugs,

Rev. Liz

Dear Siblings, 

I believe most of you know that one of my favorite hymns is Awake, Awake to Love and Work! You may not know that another hymn of which I am fond of is You Are Salt for the Earth, O People. I’m not sure, but whenever I think about the church  where I grew up, Church of the Savior UCC, it’s the song that most readily comes to mind. So, I’m glad that we’ll sing that hymn on Sunday, as we make-meaning out of Jesus’ lesson on salt and light. 

A few weeks ago, I wrote that I’ve been thinking a lot about notions of citizenship and my hope is that our scripture readings and our music in worship might help us all think about our place in the City of God.

An important part of our Common Life is simply being together. So come for something on Sunday! Come for Sunday School, for the voices of choir, the sermon, Story for All Ages, Pizza on the Playground and/or our NEW sandwich ministry opportunity. 

Come, not because you must, but because you may!

See you Sunday(in-person or online),

Thomas

This year, Central has received an increased grant to feed almost 300 people each month through the Outreach and Advocacy Center at Central Presbyterian Church.

Join us on the second and fourth Sunday of each month to help make sandwiches and pack brown bag lunches. If you can’t make this time but would like to help, please consider dropping off a dozen pre-made sandwiches:

• On the second Sunday, we meet in Room 209, after worship. For more information, email Autumn.
• On the fourth Sunday, we meet in the Fellowship Hall, at 9:30 am. For more information, email Maureen.

We are excited to present to you “The Monthly” for February 2026.

Check out this month‘s newsletter for:

• A Note from Rev. Liz
• New Perspectives: Exploring Christian Nationalism
• Mission & Action Minute
• Sandwich Sunday updates
• Black History Month Concert with The Trey Clegg Singers
• Create & Connect

Click here to download “The Monthly”! There are also paper copies in The Commons, in The Sanctuary and in the Church office. Be sure to add events and gatherings that you‘re interested in to your calendar.

Enjoy “The Monthly” and all the events and gatherings you are going to attend!