Dear Church Family and Friends,
The big news this week is in light of the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions by the State of Texas, we are beginning to reinstitute in-person public worship. We are having a dress rehearsal this Lord’s Day to ensure that we can expeditiously carry out the procedures that we have implemented to reduce the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus. On May 10 and May 17, we will be able to open to 25 percent of our building capacity. We will do so by RSVP. Look for an RSVP email to come to you next week!
As long as social distancing is recommended, if you decide to stay home for reasons of conscience or from an abundance of caution, we honor, respect, and support your decision. We continue to offer livestream service at 11 AM and 5 PM here. If you find that there are still starts and stops and gaps in the livestream service, you may access the recorded service, which is available shortly after the conclusion of the livestream. This should eliminate those difficulties. If neither of these works well, our audio sermons are available at Sermon Audio.
Watch your email for the Zoom links to Adult Sunday School, which runs from 10:00-10:45 and the Zoom chat after Evening Worship, which begins around 6:15.
THE MINISTRY OF TOUCH
I wouldn’t consider myself a “touchy” or a “huggy” person. But touch is probably what I have missed the most during the COVID-19 pandemic. No hugging, no shaking hands, and no ability to comfort people through touch.
This has made me think about how much ministry is carried out thought touch. Whether it’s a handshake, a hug, putting my hand on someone’s shoulder as I pray for them, patting someone on the back . . . all of these are small gestures that communicate love and care.
While I support and respect the current social distancing measures in place, I’m reminded that we can’t go on indefinitely without touch. People need to know that they are loved. Sometimes, words aren’t quite adequate to express this.
I’m reminded of the time my family and I visited a church on vacation whose pastor had been influential in my development. I visited to experience the worship of that church and to hear the pastor preach. I have no recollection of the sermon, or of any of the elements of the worship service, but there is one thing I will never forget. Nobody got out the door without a handshake, a hug, a pat on the back, or some form of touch from that pastor. This made me realize that for all of his wisdom and eloquence, the quality that people would remember most about this man is that they felt loved. That’s what we miss when we are deprived of touch.
READING MATERIAL
Here are some items to encourage you:
Tim Challies summarizes Eight Ways Temptations Work for our Good from Thomas Watson’s All Things for Good.
Are you battling sin? Part of putting ofF the old man and putting on the new man is changing our preferences. Even secular psychologists tell us that if we are trying to break a bad habit, we need to replace the undesirable behavior with a greater good. Thomas Chalmers writes about how the only way to dispossess our heart of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new affection.
- C. Ryle writes concerning dealing with besetting sins:
“Look less at yourself, and more of Christ, and you will find besetting sins dropping off and leaving you, and your eyes enlightened more and more every day (Holiness 426).
THANK YOU FOR BIRTHDAY WISHES
Thanks to you who wished me a Happy Birthday this week! It was a great day! I stayed home, exercised, read, enjoyed time with our family, and played with my grandson!
During this time, I am very grateful for the leadership, care and the hard work of our officers. It’s such a blessing to see each man put his gifts into action, and for us to all work together to care for our congregation. If you need anything, please contact one of the pastors, your shepherding elder, or deacon. We want to pray with and for you, and help you with any spiritual or material needs that you have. Especially, please let us know if you are sick, have a specific need, are out of work, or have a reduced income from COVID-19 circumstances. This is the time for the Body of Christ to all work together and in dependence on him, to pull through this situation, and come out of it with greater unity and maturity in Christ.
Personally, I have greatly missed seeing each one of you, and the conversations that we’re able to have by just showing up. And I really miss my Sunday School class and the children of the church, and look forward to seeing them back soon!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Clay
Half Baked 