Dear Friends,

When I think about the overall message of the gospels and the life of the disciples, I’m amazed at the amount of change that occurred in their lives as they followed Jesus. The disciples were far from perfect, but they followed even with their faults. Then consider all that changed after the death and resurrection of Jesus. They trusted the message of Jesus and rested in the new life God’s love provided. While everything was changing for the early disciples, the one thing that stayed constant was God’s love. 

We are in unprecedented times. There is change happening all around us, and we long for a return to “normal.” I’m not sure we will ever see “normal” again. Yes, there will be a time when we are back to worshipping in community; there will be a time when we can embrace one another as we greet; and there will be a time when we can see the smiles on people’s faces because they won’t be covered with masks. But I’m not sure “normal” will ever return. Our society will do many things differently in the coming months, and that may actually be a good thing.

Until our lives are back to being as “normal” as possible, I want to remind you that God’s love is stronger than any virus. This is not an excuse to go about as if there is no danger. Please practice safe social distancing, wash your hands often, and stay home if you can. In the meantime, we will continue to provide as many opportunities for worship and study through our Facebook page and Zoom meetings as possible. If you do not have the desire to use social media for maintaining contact, we will do our best to keep you connected through our print media.

I began this article by talking about change and acknowledging how difficult it is to deal with. However, I’m convinced that God loves change. The reason? When things are changing around us, it causes us to look for the constant, and God is always the constant. Lean on God, rest in God’s love, and stay connected to others as best you can. We will continue to offer our weekly livestream worship. Consider checking in with us on Sunday mornings at 11 am, and invite others to join you. We will get through this time and be stronger as result of trusting God and supporting one another.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Rich