In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells the crowd that “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” It is not a slight on his mom and family, but an important teaching on the relationship between Jesus and his church. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are members of the family of God as we seek God’s will in our life. From the beginning, when the Lord called the Israelite people out of Egypt, God called us to gather together for worship, and to care for one another and others. We often speak of church family. The past year has made our weekly gatherings difficult. However, we have persisted and learned a great deal about worship using the Internet even as we have continued to gather in the sanctuary. We have even gained attendance across the country and thank God for everyone who joins us. The idea of church family has expanded and what a blessing it is. 

The challenge comes from if we are able to attend in person or not. For those who cannot attend in person, we need to continue to find new ways to include you in the life of the church. So please help us find creative ways to serve and work for Jesus Christ together. You are an important member of this branch of the family of Christ.

As for the rest of us…I find it interesting that one of our biggest obstacles to getting back to the normal of worshiping together is no longer the virus, but the loss of habit. We know that there is something about physically being together in worship that brings comfort and fellowship as well as spiritual growth and accountability to God. It’s a challenge. We need to pray for and support one another in regaining the most important of habits.

This Sunday, we will enjoy a “Celebration Sunday.” Join us at 9:30 in the Fellowship Hall for breakfast and good conversation followed by worship in our prayer garden at 11:00. Bring a chair, bring a friend and bring yourself, and let us celebrate together. Extra chairs are available and we will take our love inside if the weather gets messy.

May the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

Pastor Rick