The Dishtowel Bandit has struck again! Or has it? Once again, except for one raggedy dishcloth, an old terry cloth towel, and an antique see-through length of muslin, the rest of the towel drawer was bare.

A positive take on this soppy predicament is that we are especially thankful for disposable paper plates and plastic table-ware now. Though the mystery remains, it is likely that someone took the missing towels home to launder them and will soon bring them back.

Less likely, but not to be entirely dismissed, is a report from an unnamed source with an overactive imagination that a Martian space ship running short on dishtowels landed on the church lawn in the night. A highly trained kitchen recon team used a laser to tunnel their way into our church kitchen and make off with the dishtowels. Using advanced space-people technology, they hit the laser-reverse button to erase all evidence of how they accomplished their dastardly deed.

Meanwhile, a second diversionary team refueled their spaceship from the parsonage propane tank. If the report of the Martian under-cover-of-darkness-sneak-thieves is correct, somewhere a space ship is traveling to the stars and beyond with the Martian Space Command kitchen committee still celebrating and waving dishtowels at us from the windows! I hear their real mission is to find enough rocks to build a wall against the invasion of Mars by Earthians.

Back to earth now, there is a reminder from our youth group: Youth nights are on Thursday evenings at 6:30 in the fellowship hall. The Youth Group is growing, and there is always room for more. You will enjoy meeting with them, and you will also get to be a part of a bedrock truth Bible study that can change you and the way you engage with the world around you. (No Martian spaceships here.)

On March 2^nd , the Youth Group will attend Winter Jam. Ask Alex and Yashna the particulars on place, time, and transportation, and they will be glad to answer any questions you have.

The 24^th is Family Game Night at 8:00 P.M. in the church fellowship hall. I don’t know what games are planned. I do know that no matter what kind or how many games there are you can depend on three things. They will be fun, they will not involve gambling, and there is sure to be some good food served.

This Sunday morning, the Praise Team Singers were here to lead in the music portion of the Revival service. They led in singing several traditional hymns and worship songs as well as some new arrangements of familiar songs.

Rev. Duncan Blackwell brought the message based on Luke 7: 36-50. In this passage Jesus has been invited to dine at Simon’s house. Since Simon was a Pharisee, he was considered to be more righteous than most. He seems to have shown his disdain for Jesus by neglecting to greet Jesus with the traditional greeting kiss or provide water and towel for Him to wash his feet.

While they were dining, a woman entered the dining room. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she fell at the feet of Jesus. Not caring what anyone there thought about her show of emotions, she washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, anointed them with expensive perfume, and kissed his feet.

Simon thought to himself that Jesus wasn’t such a great prophet if He didn’t understand that this was a very sinful woman. Jesus looked straight at Simon and answered his thoughts by pointing out that the person who is forgiven most, loves most. He then turned to the woman and told her that her sins were forgiven.

Anyone who knows Jesus loves Him. All else is allowed to fi nd its proper place beside of our relationship with Him, but more and more Jesus takes precedence.