Grace and peace to all my friends at Grace Lutheran PSL,
Life is full of change and adversity.God’s people walked in the wilderness after being taken from slavery. God’s people lived in captivity after being taken over by foreign powers. Christians in Peter’s day were driven from their homeland and forced to live and serve a people not their own.
Yes, all those times were difficult, but in all those circumstances, each time those people rediscovered that God was for them and that He would get them through any adversity.
These days have brought a new tough time, but, just like the believers in the past, I pray we will see God working through the adversity.
COVID 19 has caused the world to take action. Commitment to social distancing, as an entire community, is vital if we are going to save millions of lives. Loving our neighbor as ourselves and caring for the least of these, two of Jesus’ teachings, are being presented to us in a whole new way in these times.
The CDC and our president have made a recommendation for any group of 10 or more not to gather. As Luther reminds us in explanation of the fourth commandment, we as Christians ought to honor those in authority. Because of this recommendation, we have had to make a very difficult decision at Grace.
We will no longer hold worship services or Bible studies in person at Grace Lutheran PSL for the time being.
So here is the plan going forward into the coming weeks:
1. Recorded Sunday Services - I have talked with Cindy, and we are going to record Sunday services on Saturday. - She is going to assemble a few singers, and the recording should be done well because the service will be designed to be on 8camera and edited rather than live. - The edited service will premiere on YouTube and www.gracelutheranpsl.com at 9am every Sunday.
2. The Daily Grace - Perhaps you have seen it. www.gracelutheranpsl.com/daily - The vision for Daily Grace is “Grace and Peace for a Chaotic and Lonely Time.” - I plan on adding things here multiple times a day. There will be a wide variety of content, both fun and serious, Bible based and not. - Most stuff will also be put on Facebook and in the daily email. Like us on Facebook.
3. During the Week Communion - I am going to have a few times during the week where individuals/families can come and receive communion and participate in a small service. - Pretty much all other social interactions are being canceled, so we could use spiritual nourishment and a few moments together to share in conversation and the Lord’s Supper. -This communion service will happen every Sunday and Wednesday from 10am-1pm. -Timeslots may become necessary, depending on the popularity. - If you arrive and see another person/family in the sanctuary, please wait in the fellowship hall. If you see someone waiting in the fellowship hall, distance yourself in the fellowship hall, or wait on the front porch or car. - This is subject to change, but we are trying to figure out how to be the church right now. - I practiced some today and was able to provide a nice little service while keeping everything sanitary.
4. Physical Weekly Packets - Many of the articles and resources, along with the recordings from services, that are uploaded to the website will be made available to those without internet on a weekly basis. - I want to give those who need it a packet during communion or other times. - The packet will include a DVD of the service and any other videos done during the previous week for the Daily Grace. - The packet will also include printouts of the content from The Daily Grace. - New packets will be available by Sunday at 10 am and can be retrieved then or after. - Please reach out to us about anyone that would want the packet rather than using the website and YouTube.
5. Video Conferencing - Interacting face to face will be sorely missed, especially among those who are used to regularly gathering for Bible studies and other groups. - In the interest of keeping discussion going, we will be hosting meetings online in the coming weeks where Bible study groups can join in. - The way these will work is that a web link will be sent out in email with a “save the date” notice of what time and day to join the online group. If you are interested, click on that link a few minutes before the group is scheduled to begin. - If you have a computer without a webcam, you can join with audio only. - If you don’t have a computer or smartphone, you can join by phone by calling into the discussion group.
6. Reaching Out -If you need anything, please call the church. If no one is there, leave a message, and we will get back to you. -Seriously, if you need milk and don’t feel comfortable shopping, please contact us. We will find someone to shop for you.
These are odd times, and we have to think outside the box here. But what we know is that God is still seeing us through. And we must always love God and love our neighbor. Loving our neighbor is, ironically, what social distancing is all about.
I am declaring today that Grace Lutheran PSL is about this one statement, "Giving Grace and Peace in a Chaotic and Lonely Time"
Peace to you all, Cris Pastor Grace Lutheran PSL
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