Dear Church Family,
Growing up we paid a good bit of attention to Washington’s birthday on February 22 and Lincoln’s on February 12.   Somewhere along the way, celebration of the specific birthdays morphed into creating a long weekend by designating the 3rd Monday of the month to celebrate these Presidents’  birthdays.  Technically  the federal holiday honors Washington, though some states list it as Washington/Lincoln/Presidents’ Day.  Alabama has Washington/Jefferson Day and nine states don’t recognize the federal holiday at all.  
I like recognizing the two February born Presidents who in  most peoples’ minds are our two most celebrated  and significant Presidents.  You know my love for Lincoln especially and his determination to try to reunite the nation in the most polarized of times.  The eloquent way he ended the 2nd inaugural continues to provide inspiration: With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds…to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.
There will be a memorial service for Jack Bowman on Saturday, February 15 at 3 p.m. CST (that’s 4 p.m. our time) at the Mayflower Congregational Church in Oklahoma City, OK.  Jack was our very energetic music director from  September 2019-April 2020.  The last 4 months, you’ll remember, he was present for Sunday services.  If you would like to participate via livestream, the link is https://www.youtube.com/live/jPmX3mq8Doc.
The sermon this Sunday is “Practical Saints.”  The texts are Jeremiah 17:5-10 and Luke 6:20-36.
See you in church.
Rich 
To livestream FVCC's service, or view an archived service, click here: https://thefvcc.cc/online-worship