The great penitential season of Lent begins with special services of the imposition of ashes and Holy Eucharist at 10 o'clock in the Chapel and 7:30 p.m. in the Church. Ashes in Biblical times have long been the sign of penitence and remorse. Those wishing to receive ashes have them placed on their forehead with these words from the Prayer Book: "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return." This season of forty days is a time for self-examination, and repentance; a time for prayer, fasting, self-denial and the reading and meditating on God's holy Word.

One of the most powerful sections of the Ash Wednesday service is the Litany of Penance (Prayer Book pg. 267) which asks the congregation to consider the ministry of proclaiming God's love and forgiveness. Like the 22nd Psalm which is part of the Good Friday Liturgy, the Litany begins with confession and concludes with our request for God to restore us. The Lenten season provides an opportunity for the message of pardon and absolution and the need for the faithful to renew their repentance and faith in preparation for the Good News of the Easter message.

One of the Lenten hymns (#150) begins with these words: " Forty days and forty nights thou was fasting in the wild; ...tempted and yet undefiled." Just after our Lord's baptism, he prepared for his ministry with a solitary period of fasting and prayer. Our forty day observance of Lent is first mentioned in the Cannons of the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Since then the church has used this time for reflection, prayer, study and repentance. To remind us of the importance of the season, the crosses in Ware Church will be veiled (a custom of the church dating back to the 11th century) on Ash Wednesday and continue until Easter.

During Lent our Sunday worship will be more penitential with our hymns and anthems being less joyous, and worship including the reflective litanies found in the Prayer Book. Flowers and greens will not adorn the Altar until the branches of palm are placed in the Church on Palm Sunday and the white lilies celebrating our Lord's resurrection on Easter Day.

Jesus spent forty days preparing for his ministry; let us spend forty days preparing for his glorious resurrection and his victory over sin and death.

Faithfully yours,

Peter Worthington

For longer than anyone can remember, Episcopal congregations have received on Easter Sunday the Lenten Mite Box Offering. This ingathering has its origin in our Lord's observation of the widow who placed her mite, the smallest coin of the realm, in the Temple treasury. He noted that she had given more than anyone because she gave all she had.

On March 9th, the first Sunday in Lent, offering containers will be given to the congregation seeking gifts of nickels, dimes, pennies and quarters - spare change. This year's offering will assist the new congregation at Atlee, Virginia which is just north of Richmond. In the coming months this new Episcopal congregation will begin worshiping in an elementary school and, in time, move to nearby property which the Diocese of Virginia is in the process of purchasing.

The Right Reverend David Colin Jones, Suffragan Bishop of Virginia will be at Ware Church Sunday, September 7th for his regular visitation. Classes for those wishing to be confirmed or received in the Episcopal Church will be on Wednesdays, beginning March 12th at 7:30 p.m. Here's an opportunity to learn more about the church, church membership and make plans to be confirmed or received.

• March 12: The Importance and Place of Prayer in our daily lives
• March 19: Holy Scripture - A 1000 years of sacred writings
• March 26: Church History - 2000 years of mission and ministry
• April 2: History of the American Episcopal Church
• April 9: Holy Baptism - entrance into faith and church membership
• April 16: Holy Eucharist - The gift of the Last Supper to the Church
• April 23: Mission and Ministry - A life in Faith

This class is open to all friends and members of Ware Church.

Ware Church always rejoices when one becomes part of this congregation. If you wish to join, call the church office at 693-3821 to transfer your membership or make arrangements for a baptism.

Membership in the Episcopal Church begins at Baptism. When one is baptized, one is a member of the church. This is done either by being baptized in Ware Church (as an infant or an adult) or by having one's baptismal record or membership transferred from another congregation - this need not be an Episcopal Church.

Baptized Members of this Church are full members. For example, one may purchase burial rights in the cemetery, be married in the church and/or be part of the many church groups and committees. The Holy Eucharist is open to all Baptized persons regardless of where they are members.

In Confirmation, the bishop acknowledges one's faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and one's desire to follow and obey Him. One is usually twelve or older when they are confirmed.

Many people joining Ware Church have come from other denominations. The bishop recognizes the faith journey that was begun in another tradition and then receives them into the Episcopal Church.

Please notify the office of any address and telephone number changes so the next directory is as up to date as possible.

Plans call for a new directory to be published this spring. It will be available to the resident congregation of Ware Church. A serious attempt is made to list those members living in Williamsburg and in Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, and Lancaster Counties. In essence these are the friends and members who live within twenty-five miles or so of the church. Some members and friends in Norfolk and Richmond are also listed.

As a general rule, when children of parishioners finish college and move out of the area, their names are not published as they are residents of a new community and hopefully have found a new church home. In many cases, these young adults request that their membership be transferred to their new church. The Parish Directory lists who is here in the area. It is by no means a complete list of those who hold membership in Ware Church because of their baptism, confirmation/reception or transfer to this congregation. Ware Church has members that live outside the local area. Please call the Church Office at 693-3821 with any additions or changes.

Did you know there are ware memorabilia items for sale? We have stationery ($4/box of 8 cards and envelopes), postcards ($.25 each), Christmas ornaments ($15 each) and a book on Ware's history ($25 each). If you would like to purchase any of these items, come by the church office.

The Family Room continues to be a source of delight for children and parents alike. This co-operative playgroup for preschool children meets in the Parish House during the school year on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. There is no cost. Over sixty families participate in the Family Room playgroup, activities, field trips and fund-raisers. The Family Room Director Sister Colleen Magill keeps the playgroup running smoothly.

To supplement The Family Room, parents often participate in group fund-raisers such as this year's Yard Sale that will be on Saturday, June 7th.

New families are always welcome to join us for singing, playing, learning, support, companionship and fun.

Every Easter Ware Church is adorned with lilies that have been given in memory of the loved ones of the parish. Lilies are one of many Biblical flowers that grew in the Galilean hills. They have long been associated with Mary, the mother of Jesus at the time of the Annunciation and with the Resurrection.

To celebrate the joy of Easter, Ware Church will be filled with these beautiful plants on either side of the cross and the church windows. To give one or more plants in memory of your loved ones, please supply the information listed below and return it with your check by April 7th.

Please return this form and your check to
Mrs. Edward H. Ould, III, P.O. Box 6, Ware Neck, VA 23178-0006

The cold weather has put extra demands on the Food Pantry at the Salvation Army. Folks are using their limited resources for high heating costs. Canned and boxed food items, paper products, etc. are needed. The gifts are received on the first Sunday of every month. Bring your gifts March 2nd!

The Vestry of Ware Church meets monthly - usually on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. All meetings are open to the congregation. The meeting minutes and monthly financial report are posted on the Parish Hall bulletin board. Should you have questions, please telephone or speak to one of the Vestry members.

Items from February's meeting include:

1) A proposal from Bohannon, Oliver and Malise to remove undergrowth, brush and two structures from the church property. The building behind the Parish House was no longer safe for use and represented serious liability issues should anyone be injured near it. The Vestry accepted a bid of $3,600 for the project and authorized the Junior Warden to arrange for the work.

2) The Vestry elected Karen Ward to fill the term of Steve Parker who was unable to accept election to the Vestry for health reasons. It also elected Pete Roane to fill the term of Hally Baker who resigned for personal reasons. The new Vestry members will continue until the Annual Congregational Meeting when the congregation will affirm their election.

3) The Vestry toured the Church to see the current condition of the carpeting, pew pads, and seasonal hangings. It agreed to spend its retreat to discuss these needs.

4) The Vestry elected Mary Montague as delegate and Breck Montague as the alternate to the annual Diocesan Council which will meet in January, 2004 and to the Council of Region II which meets five times each year.

5) The Vestry donated the old computer network system to the Church Plant at Atlee, Virginia. The donation included two computers, monitors and keyboards.

6) The Vestry received word that the Gloucester-Matthews Free Clinic was appreciative of the Vestry's willingness to receive a proposal for possible use of the land behind Ware Cottage for a new clinic location. The Free Clinic has decided not to submit a proposal and is seeking a location nearer Gloucester Court House.

7) The Vestry approved a bid from Eagle Construction to paint the exterior of the Church for $9,270. Window glazing will be an add-on to the contract.

8) The Vestry received the Treasurer's Report with $17,884 for January's expenses and also noted that the general fund had a balance of $54,233 as of February 1st.

A reminder to all Vestry Members: The meeting this month will be held on Sunday, March 9th at noon in the Parish House.

It's complete - the clearing of the land behind the Parish House! At the February Vestry meeting a contract was awarded for $3,600 to Steve Malise, Jimmy Bohannon and Lee Oliver to clear the dense undergrowth from behind the play area and around the smoke house and garage at Ware Cottage. This work was "fast tracked" so the field might be ready for Spring planting and all the burning completed prior to annual implementation of the Virginia 4 p.m. burn laws.

Numerous small trees infested with briars and grapevines were removed and burned. Also burned was the large yard waste pile of limbs and shrubbery clippings from previous cleanups at the cottage. The land retains its original contour with natural leaf mulch being spread behind the Parish House and grass planted around the cottage outbuildings. In the process, the large walnut tree has been freed of its grapevines. The landscaping around the house was not harmed.

The contract also included the removal of two buildings. The equipment shed just behind the Parish House, whose roof had collapsed, and the chicken house were leveled and hauled to the county landfill.

In the coming weeks old cans of paint, oil drums and an old water system tank will be taken for recycling.

Friday - March 14th