Blog

Today marks a convergence that is not easy to process. On one hand we’re in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the numbers are continuing to rise. Experts are predicting the numbers to rise into the weekend. Our prayer is that we see the downturn soon. For God to be merciful and to spare lives. Let this plague pass. On the one hand is COVID-19. On the other hand it’s holy week. We’re at Wednesday of the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. We’re looking ahead to Good Friday and then Resurrection Sunday. There are no days more glorious or more important than the Friday Jesus was crucified and the Sunday he rose again.

Easter falls this year on April 12th, a fairly typical date on the calendar in most years. This year it's right in the middle of a whole set of restrictions surrounding COVID-19. Likely we'll be talking about this Easter for the rest of our lives: "Remember 2020 when all Christians around the world stayed home at Easter."

However, for many of us "stay at home" also means that the pace of life has slowed just a bit. And maybe that means we can prepare for Resurrection Sunday more than we typically do, not less. This post is to help you do that. 

With hard things coming our way pretty fast it's good to look at God's Word and remember some of the reasons why they do. Otherwise we can miss what God might be up to in our lives. Here are the 12 reasons listed out:

One of the realities of this COVID season is that we'll each be impacted uniquely. Even as we talk to different people within this church we're seeing it. Some are experiencing significantly reduced hours, others have had their jobs doubled. Lou Gregus, who helps organize our Side-by-Side Ministry dedicated to building bridges between our church and ministry in the community (and beyond), passed along a prayer that helps us remember how others might be faring in this season:

For this installment we look at Isaiah 40 and the way it presents God as both infinite over us and concerned for us. In hard times we need to be confident of both. 

Today we're launching a new mid-week video. One reason is to get information out to you that pertains to life in our church together. But more than that, the point is to take a few minutes and think about things that never change amidst a season that seems to bring changes daily and exponentially.

We will not be holding normal Sunday services on March 15th or 22nd. We'll make a decision in the next ten days or so about the Sundays after that. 

We will, however, be streaming our service. The link will be on the home page. You can watch on your computer or SmartTV. Check with your home group leader to see what the plan is for potentially gathering as a home group for a time of worship. We realize different people will have different levels of comfort meeting in groups of any size. Groups will be making their own decisions on this.

As is evident on all media platforms, the impact of the Coronavirus continues to escalate. The elders are trying to discern the right response. We don't pretend to be experts on these matters, and we understand that you might feel the need to be more (or less) conservative than we are. If so, that's fine. Just make sure you're communicating with all the people you need to if you aren't able to serve in a ministry that expects you. 

This Sunday we begin our series in Deuteronomy, the last book Moses wrote. In some ways it’s not really a book at all but a sermon—or a series of sermons by one of the Bible’s most significant figures. One author said in Deuteronomy Moses is best seen not as a lawgiver but as a pastor. Knowing that his death is imminent “Moses gathers his congregation and delivers his final homily, pleading with the Israelites to remain faithful to Yahweh" (Daniel Block, NIVAC).

On Sanctity of Human Life Sunday Mike Noel unpacked what it means to be a "pro-life Christian." This speaks to the issue of the unborn and advocating for them but also much more. Here is how he defined what he meant:

A pro-life Christian is one who out of their devotion to God seeks to minister to others in all seasons of life especially to those who are in distress and need of care.