For the first time since December 29th, I am not in the pulpit on a Sunday morning. What began as a vacation week quickly turned into what we pastors call a study week, but ultimately became a work week.
The good news is that the front half of the week was incredibly productive with reading and planning. My sermon schedule is set through Thanksgiving! I also have an adult study set up that I can use for Wednesday Night with Pastor Pat and Adult Sunday school during the fall.
Everything started to go south on Thursday. Before a Thursday evening meeting to finalize a draft plan to gradually and safely bring people back to worship in-house, I found out that we had a vital computer in the office crash that afternoon. Friday brought news that the computer was attacked by a virus (irony here during a pandemic).
Then came the news announcement calling for churches to be opened immediately which prompted a Saturday morning visit to the sanctuary to begin preparations for the eventual return of congregants, and then an email to said congregants asking them to be patient and in prayer while we figure out how to bring them back safely. Uhg!
But the silver lining; the government recognizes that houses of worship are essential. You can decide the motive for this declaration; I say that we already knew this!
God is Essential!
Without the Triune God of Grace, we are simply an accumulation of molecules and energy taking up space. In the lyrics from the band CAKE:
Man is born, man lives, man dies. And it’s all vanity.
“Thrills” by CAKE – B-sides and Rarities.
To counter this lyric and understanding, here are the last two verses of Ecclesiastes. The Teacher has claimed many times that “all is vanity”, but ends with this:
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
On this Sunday, take these words to heart. God is absolutely essential! Honor and serve God and keep his commandments to love, for this is your sacred call as a Christian. For Jesus is the Righteous Judge, and he sees all the good and evil and will be a compassionate and loving Judge!
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Amen! Regardless of all the chaos, the politics, the struggles to normalize God is with us. Our job is love him with everything that we are, and love others as ourselves. Bless you!
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