The Weekly Epistle 4/8/20

Pastor Dan and I miss being with you on Sunday mornings.  I mean, the technology is great and I am thankful that we can stay in touch and have our worship service and the various teachings from God’s word online, but being with you is much better.  I cannot wait to see you face to face.  I cannot wait to be in the church building again on Sundays.  I cannot wait to connect with you over a meal, at the office, between services, praying together, laughing together, catching up on each other’s lives.  I miss that!  I miss you!  And I know Dan feels the same way!
 
Well, church, this is going to be one different Easter season.  We will be having a Good Friday service this Friday evening at 7:00pm, so be sure to tune in at 7.  We will have a time of communion, so have a wafer, a cracker, a piece of bread, something to remember the body of our Lord with and some juice or perhaps you have no problem with a little wine, something to drink in remembrance of our Savior’s sacrificial death on the cross that paid the penalty of our sin.  Although it won’t be the same as getting together, it is important that we pause during the most significant week for believers to remember the suffering of our Lord.  
 
I hope you are following along in the Daily Reflections.  This is the third week we have made that tool available for you and for this week the theme is on Holy Week.  Be sure to download that.  
 
Again, I will bring some teaching from the Bible in our Wednesdays in the Word this Wednesday night at 7.  We will be looking at Psalm 139.  Let me say something about the video feed taking place.  God is using this platform to get His word out. Personally, I am hearing from people outside of our church who are being touched by the spoken word.  The impact of His word is far reaching in such a time as this.  And it is His word that is attached with the promise of not returning to Him void but will accomplish the purpose for which he sent it (see Isaiah 55).  Praise God!
 
Praise God also for the many ways the church is being the church during this time.  Phone calls are being made to the elderly, community groups and elders are meeting viz zoom, Easter bags are being prepared for our kiddos this week, and you are making yourself available to help financially and in other practical ways.  Thank you!
 
Let me give you one example.  Rumor has it (and this one is true) that someone from our church wasn’t able to access the sermons online.  In an act of kindness, someone else who could access the sermon, played the sermon through their phone to the other person’s phone and voila they heard the sermon.  How beautiful is that!
 
I leave you with this thought.  David Mathis executive editor of Desiring God ministries said this, “Jesus’ step-by-step journey to Golgotha is a glowing revelation of the extent of His love.”
 
Ephesians 3, verses 16-19 says this, “according to the riches of His glory he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
 
Celebrate and remember Holy week- not because you must, but because you get to.  

Blessings!
Pastor Brian