Half Baked

Dear Church Family and Friends,

     As I mentioned last week, I’m working on a series of sermons on the Book of Esther that I will begin preaching this Sunday evening.

     In sermon preparation, there is inevitably some material that doesn’t “make the cut.”  It’s either not derived from the text, or it has less importance than the primary themes of the passage, or it doesn’t seem germane to the needs of the congregation.  But sometimes, such material can be interesting and instructive.  In this case, it’s more philosophical than Biblical. 

     In the first chapter of Esther, we are introduced to the ruler of Persia, Ahasuerus, who is also known as Xerxes.  We find that he is a man of contradictions.  He rules over a vast territory containing 127 provinces from present-day India to Ethiopia.  He’s wealthy enough to have a lavish feast (think huge wedding reception!) for 180 days in a row.  He has executive, legislative, and judicial power.  But he doesn’t have enough influence to get his wife to come to him when he sends for her.

The Difference Between Authority and Influence

     I would suggest that there are two different dynamics at work here:  authority and influence.  If a person has authority, it means that they have the power to make decisions, give orders, and enforce obedience.  Generally, but not always, there is some kind of coercive power that one in authority possesses.  Such a person has a title – whether it be husband, father, CEO of a company, teacher, principal, governor, or President of the United States. 

     Influence is the capacity to have an effect on people and events.  One may have no formal authority, yet have great influence.  Consider the teacher whose love for learning is contagious, and whose love for her students inspires some of them to become teachers themselves.  This does not come from authority, but from influence.

What causes people to have influence

     Ahasuerus has much authority, but little influence.  He needs the coercive authority that goes with his title to effect outcomes.  When his wife disobeys him, he makes a law, which he thinks will solve the problem. 

     Two primary character traits that create influence are character and competence.  To create trust, one must be a person of good character.  This is what we see missing from Ahasuerus.  Not only does he sponsor 180 days of feasting, but following this, he sponsors a week-long party for everyone in the city, in which “each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions.”  So, he hosts a week-long frat party, hoping to get into the good graces of the residents of the city. 

     However, people generally desire that their rulers be self-controlled.  This is why the mother of Lemuel writes in Proverbs 31:3-5:

³ Do not give your strength to women,
    your ways to those who destroy kings.
⁴ It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
    it is not for kings to drink wine,
    or for rulers to take strong drink,
⁵ lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
    and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

     The character of Ahasuerus is not one that inspires trust.  And his competence is questionable as well.  He cannot rule his own household well.  He attempts to overcome this by making a law.  But because his character is compromised, he has no moral authority.  People will not trust him.  The only authority he has is coercive authority.

     A society ruled by leaders who have not earned moral authority through their character and competence cannot last.  This is true for husbands and father, for church leaders, and for civil authorities.  Families do not have enough means at their disposal to coerce their children to obey apart from children trusting their parents.  This is particularly true when children advance into the teen years and become “too big to spank.”  States and nations can never have enough police to compel obedience to unjust authorities.  And the Church, whose only authority is “moral and spiritual,” has no coercive authority to compel obedience. 

So, What’s the Point of All of This?

     The point of all of this is that if you seek to influence people, you must seek to grow in character, in wisdom, and in godliness.  People may flatter those in authority out of self-preservation.  As Christians, we are called to influence those whom God has put in our proximity with the sweet-smelling aroma of the gospel.  Character is king, and everything else follows from godly character.  Seek to grow in grace.  Pray that the Lord would help you to grow in holiness.  Love the people that God has placed you among deeply, and the Lord will bless your efforts.

ARTICLES OF NOTE

     On August 4, PCA Pastor Jean Jacob Paul was martyred in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.  Read here of his courageous and fruitful ministry, and his courageous stand against the priests of Voodoo.  I knew this man slightly.  Martyrdom becomes so much more real when we lose one of our own.

     As some of you are gearing up for back to school, here is an article that describes the trade-offs of in-person schooling, remote learning, and home learning.

     Social media needs manners.  Here is one pastors’ idea of what these might look like. 

CHURCH SERVICES

     Once again, 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 by clicking on the link above. This 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. 

ZOOM SUNDAY SCHOOL

    Pastor Julian Zugg will continue to teach the adult Sunday School class on the Holy Spirit on Zoom.  Watch your email for the Zoom links to Adult Sunday School, which runs from 9:40-10:30 and the Zoom chat after Evening Worship, which begins around 6:15.  

     Your officers are praying for you, and are privileged to minister to you in any way that you may find helpful.   And remember, if you are ever in need of spiritual counsel or prayer, please ask me, Pastor Lou, or one of the elders. This is what we are here for.  We are happy to serve you in this way!

Love in Christ,

Pastor Clay

Dear Church Family and Friends,

    Amy and I are back from study leave and vacation.  We enjoyed a relaxing weekend at Galveston and returned Monday night.  For those of you who are able to attend church in person, we are looking forward to seeing you this Sunday.  If you are isolating, we hope to catch up with you soon.

     The main project that  I’m working on right now is a series of sermons on the Book of Esther that I will begin preaching on August 16.  Esther is one of the most neglected books of the Bible.  On the surface, it appears deservedly so, as there is no explicit mention of God, worship, or prayer.  But throughout this book, we see the hidden providence of God in preserving his people from destruction through a courageous young woman.

     Perhaps, more than any other book, Esther addresses the questions, “Where is God in all of this?  I don’t see him at work?  Why does it seem that he is absent?  Why am I experiencing such great suffering?  Why doesn’t he intervene?  Has he forgotten me?  Has he forsaken me?”

     In many ways, God seems completely inactive in Esther.  More than any Old Testament book, we see in Esther that we must walk by faith and not by sight.  We see that his normal way of working is not through spectacular events when he parts the heavens and comes down, but through his inconspicuous and almost imperceptible Providence.

    We remember God’s deliverance of his people through Esther, that he raised her up “for such a time as this.”  However, as the Jews were living through these events, it appeared that they would be subjected to cruel and heartless destruction – even to genocide – through the wicked actions of Haman.  But at the last minute, God raises up the righteous and destroys the wicked.

     And Esther is an unlikely heroine.  She was orphaned at a young age and raised by her uncle, Mordecai.  She was taken from him to the king’s harem.  This is no Cinderella story.  There was no “beauty pageant” or “scholarship contest” that she applied to and won.  The text doesn’t allow us to press this point too hard, but today, she might be considered a victim of human trafficking.  This is a child of the covenant, living in exile, who experienced great losses early in life.

     Esther doesn’t seem to be particularly devout.  There is no mention of her keeping the dietary laws, which is central in the Book of Daniel.  She conceals her Jewish identity.  Yet, God raises her up to save his people from destruction.

     One of the lessons that we can learn from Esther is that no matter what kind of baggage we bring into the kingdom, no matter how many hurts and losses we have suffered, or how many times we may have compromised, God is not finished with us yet.  He is able to use each one of us to accomplish his purposes and to further his kingdom.  Esther encourages us that God is able to do great things through unlikely people.

ARTICLES OF NOTE

     Lindsey Brigham Knott, one of my former teaching colleagues, writes about “Why Ceremony is not Nonessential.”

     Here is a paper that chronicles the development of the Presbyterian church in Egypt.  I had no idea that there is a Presbyterian church in Egypt!  While this paper is rather academic, the story of God’s blessing on the work of American Presbyterian missionaries who went to Egypt in the nineteenth century is interesting and encouraging.

     The book White Fragility is one that’s making the rounds right now.  t’s number two on the New York Times nonfiction best seller list.  Tim Challies reviews this book and concludes that it is not a helpful resource for Christians.

 CHURCH SERVICES

     Once again, 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.  We are continuously working to improve the quality of our livestream, so hopefully, it will improve week by week.

ZOOM SUNDAY SCHOOL

    Pastor Julian Zugg will continue to teach the adult Sunday School class on the Holy Spirit on Zoom.  Watch your email for the Zoom links to Adult Sunday School, which runs from 9:40-10:30 and the Zoom chat after Evening Worship, which begins around 6:15.

     Your officers are praying for you, and are privileged to minister to you in any way that you may find helpful.   And remember, if you are ever in need of spiritual counsel or prayer, please ask me, Pastor Lou, or one of the elders. This is what we are here for.  We are happy to serve you in this way!

Love in Christ,

Pastor Clay

Dear Church Family and Friends,

I’m learning that one of the keys to maintaining my sanity during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic is to have things to look forward to.  This Lord’s Day evening, we will be celebrating the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper for the first time since March.

Like many of you, I’ve missed being able to take communion.  This brings up the question, “what do we receive in the Sacrament that we don’t receive in the other elements of worship?”  We know that we are missing something, but maybe we aren’t quite sure what it is.  So, let’s look at what we don’t receive.

First, all aspects of corporate worship point us to Christ.  We receive Jesus Christ, as he is offered in the gospel as the Word is read, sung, prayed, and preached each week.  Christ is in all of our worship.  So, we don’t receive something different in the Lord’s Supper.

Second, we don’t receive a better Christ.  The thoughts, words, and works of Christ are already perfected.  Nothing can be added to them to make them “more perfect.”

And third, at least objectively, we don’t receive an extra blessing in the Sacrament. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 1:3 that in Christ, we are blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

But what we do receive is articulated in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 92, which defines a sacrament as a “holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.”

Now, that’s a mouthful, and I’m not going to break this down word by word here.  The main thing we receive is Christ and all his benefits – the same benefits that are offered to us in the Word and received by faith alone in him.  These are “represented, sealed, and applied to us by sensible signs.”

An imperfect illustration of this that at least some of you will identify with is the current limitation of touch during COVID-19.  Perhaps you have friends that you used to shake hands with, or hug.  Under the current conditions, much of that touching is suspended.

It’s not as though your friendship is broken because of this.  And if you were to resume shaking hands or hugging, this friend would not be transformed into a new friend.  But touch gives us a greater assurance of the friendship and the fellowship we share.  It’s comforting.  It’s reassuring.  It’s nourishing.  It underlines that this person really cares for me.

So, this is one of the ways that the Sacrament builds greater assurance of the love of Christ in each of his people.  We receive Christ not only in our minds, but through our senses as we eat and drink of him spiritually.

NEW PROCEDURES FOR COMMUNION

Our procedures for serving communion will be altered during our present situation.  The first change is that we will be using Fellowship Cups, which are prefilled cups with a wafer and grape juice sealed inside.  We have not found this product or a close substitute available with wine, so for those of you with an entrepreneurial bent, here’s a new business idea!  Here is a short video that shows how they work.  I will also give instructions as the sacrament is administered.

As a consequence of this, since the bread and the cup are packaged together, the elders will make one distribution rather than separate distributions for the bread and the cup, as is our normal practice.  The cups will be “socially distanced” in the trays, as each tray will only be filled to 50 percent capacity.

Following the benediction, the deacons will come down the aisles and collect the empty cups and release you by rows.

WORSHIP INSTRUCTIONS

In light of the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic and the statewide order from the Governor requiring masks indoors where the public gathers, this session asks you to follow the instructions below for worship attendance on this Lord’s Day.

If you choose to attend in person worship, we would ask that you wear masks throughout the entire duration of worship. In addition, we request that for the benefit of others, that you practice social distancing, handwashing, and hand sanitizing diligently.

We know that the masks are annoying and that we are all tired of wearing them, and there doesn’t seem to be any end to this in sight.  However, the COVID-19 threat seems more real now that some of our church members have contracted the virus.  Thankfully, none have needed to be hospitalized, nor have any of them been present in worship in the last few weeks.  In view of this, please do continue with the precautions, as Houston is now an epicenter.

We also request that you exercise extreme caution in determining whether or not to attend worship in person. If you or any person in your family has heightened risk to contract COVID-19 and become seriously infected, we urge you to stay home and avail yourselves of live stream worship.

Thank you so much for your willingness to comply with these requests, and your willingness to put the interests of others ahead of your own as we seek to be able to continue to worship together in person.

CHURCH SERVICES

Once again, 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.  We are continuously working to improve the quality of our livestream, so hopefully, it will improve week by week.

ZOOM SUNDAY SCHOOL

Pastor Julian Zugg will continue to teach the adult Sunday School class on the Holy Spirit on Zoom.  Watch your email for the Zoom links to Adult Sunday School, which runs from 9:40-10:30 and the Zoom chat after Evening Worship, which begins around 6:15.

Your officers are praying for you, and are privileged to minister to you in any way that you may find helpful.   And remember, if you are ever in need of spiritual counsel or prayer, please ask me, Pastor Lou, or one of the elders. This is what we are here for.  We are happy to serve you in this way!

Love in Christ,

Pastor Clay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Church Family and Friends,

We continue to ride the roller coaster of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Here in Houston, we haven’t heard much to encourage us that we are seeing the end of this anytime soon.  With this uncertainty comes much anxiety and tension.

One verse that may be helpful to meditate on in the midst of the current uncertainty is John 16:33. In this verse, Jesus says: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Whatever your personal or family situation is, none of it is a surprise to our Lord.  Uncertainty, hardship, and the anxiety, frustration, and depression that often stem from these circumstances are part of living in a fallen world.  Personal peace is not going to be obtained by asserting control in response to the tensions that we feel at the expense of our relationships.  Jesus gives us the true peace that we need.  He gives us peace with God, which he purchased for us at the cross.  Our peace is in him, who has overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.  Peace is knowing that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  So whatever trials that you may be going through, God’s gifts of grace and peace that he gives through our Lord Jesus Christ accompany you.  While you may not feel a sense of relief or relaxation, you can know objectively that these are the gifts of God.  Receive them, trust him, and rely on his promise.

THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING TO OUR NEED FOR LIVESTREAM VOLUNTEERS

Several of you volunteered to help with our livestream after I put out the need last week.  We really appreciate your willingness to step in and help!  As COVID-19 cases surge in Houston the live stream is becoming a spiritual lifeline to many.  So, we appreciate your efforts to keep this going.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

My book recommendation this week is a book called Faith, Hope, and Love:  The Christ-Centered Way to Grow in Grace, by Mark Jones.  Dr. Jones is a PCA pastor in Vancouver, British Columbia, and has written a number of books combining a robust exposition of Biblical and confessional doctrine with experiential Christianity.  Both Augustine and Thomas Aquinas described faith, hope, and love as the “theological virtues.”  Older writers developed catechisms around these themes.  Perhaps the most notable is the Heidelberg Catechism, which follows the ancient pattern of faith being explained by the Apostles Creed; hope, through the Lord’s Prayer, and love through the Ten Commandments.  Another way to state this is that we are taught how to believe, how to pray, and how to live.

What this book does is that it develops these theological virtues in the form of 58 questions and answers.  The questions and answers are brief, which makes this book ideal for personal or family worship, or an entry-level book into the heart of Biblical living.

WORSHIP INSTRUCTIONS

In light of the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic and the statewide order from the Governor requiring masks indoors where the public gathers, this session asks you to follow the instructions below for worship attendance on this Lord’s Day.

If you choose to attend in person worship, we would ask that you wear masks throughout the entire duration of worship. In addition, we request that for the benefit of others, that you practice social distancing, handwashing, and hand sanitizing diligently.

We also request that you exercise extreme caution in determining whether or not to attend worship in person. If you or any person in your family has heightened risk to contract COVID-19 and become seriously infected, we urge you to stay home and avail yourselves of live stream worship.

Thank you so much for your willingness to comply with these requests, and your willingness to put the interests of others ahead of your own as we seek to be able to continue to worship together in person.

CHURCH SERVICES

Once again, 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.

ZOOM SUNDAY SCHOOL

Pastor Julian Zugg will continue to teach the adult Sunday School class on the Holy Spirit on Zoom.  Watch your email for the Zoom links to Adult Sunday School, which runs from 9:40-10:30 and the Zoom chat after Evening Worship, which begins around 6:15.

Your officers are praying for you, and are privileged to minister to you in any way that you may find helpful.   And remember, if you are ever in need of spiritual counsel or prayer, please ask me, Pastor Lou, or one of the elders. This is what we are here for.  We are happy to serve you in this way!

Love in Christ,

Pastor Clay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Church Family and Friends,

It’s now quiet at the Clay household.  All of our children are gone now, leaving just Amy and me.  Our house is moving towards organization again.  We aren’t finding kitchen utensils in the living room hidden in the living room by our grandson.  We aren’t stepping over baby toys anymore.  But that’s small consolation for Rory being gone.

Amy and I had considered going to the beach at her mom’s house this weekend.  But the latest spike in COVID-19 cases ended up changing those plans.  So, for us, it will be a quiet 4^th of July weekend at home.

I went to occupational therapy for my hand for the first time this week.  It turns out that the surgery was a resounding success!  I can already move my thumb more than I could before the surgery.  I can do most of the therapy at home, which was a pleasant surprise!

WORSHIP INSTRUCTIONS

In light of the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic and the statewide order from the Governor requiring masks indoors where the public gathers, this session requests that you follow the instructions below for worship attendance on this Lord’s Day.

If you choose to attend in person worship, we would ask that you wear masks throughout the entire duration of worship. In addition, we request that for the benefit of others, that you practice social distancing  handwashing, and hand sanitizing diligently.

We also request that you exercise extreme caution in determining whether or not to attend worship in person. If you or any person in your family has heightened risk to contract COVID-19 and become seriously infected, we urge you to stay home and avail yourselves of live stream worship.

We take these steps with extreme reluctance, but we would like for people to have the liberty to attend worship, while maintaining as safe of an environment as possible for our most vulnerable members.

Thank you so much for your willingness to comply with these requests, and your willingness to put the interests of others ahead of your own as we seek to be able to continue to worship together in person.

LIVE STREAM VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

During the COVID-19 pandemic, live streaming our worship services has been perhaps our most effective tool and reaching out to the community and building up the saints in the faith, hope, and love of the gospel of Jesus.

We would really like to continue this ministry.  In order to do so, we need more adult volunteers.

The only requirements are: a good attitude, teachability, and willingness to serve.  The deacons will provide all the training necessary.

If you would like to explore helping out with this ministry, please contact the church office.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

I’m always conflicted about sharing with you what I’m reading.  To begin with, I don’t want anyone to go out and buy a book just because I recommend it, only to find out that it wasn’t quite the book for you.

I also learn much more from reading books by people with whom I disagree, rather than those who may bolster my opinions.  If you are still getting grounded in the faith, or you have items that are truly open questions, I don’t recommend this approach.

Richard Pratt, one of my seminary professors, used the metaphor of a “theological home.”  If you are coming into the faith for the first time, or if you are new to the Reformed faith but think this may be your “home,” your first task is to build your house and get well grounded in the fundamentals.  Once you have a home, you can go out and “visit” other places without being threatened.  But if you are theologically homeless, you’ll take your shopping cart and pick up anything that looks like it may be of value.

My next preaching series after finishing the prayers of Paul will be the book of Esther.  Esther is a unique book in many respects.  Much of the Bible is a record of the Lord dealing with people extraordinarily:  appearing to them, giving revelation, prophecy, visiting visible manifestations of salvation and judgment.  In Esther, the Lord works inconspicuously through ordinary people and events to preserve his people from destruction.

One book that has been especially helpful here is:  God’s Inconspicuous Providence:  The Gospel According to Esther  by Bryan R. Gregory.

Another book I’m reading is Good News for Anxious Christians  by Philip Cary.  This book is particularly helpful for those coming from a charismatic or broad evangelical Christian tradition.  Dr. Cary’s thesis is that much of the emphasis in modern evangelical Christianity is placed on our feelings or intuitions about God, rather than his objective revelation in the gospel.  He does an excellent job in diagnosing some of the spiritual problems that come with this orientation (for example, “how do I know if I’m doing something in my own strength rather than trusting in the Lord?) and pointing Christians to the gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is revealed in the written Word of God, rather than in our internal experiences.

CHURCH SERVICES

Once again, 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.  We are continuously working to improve the quality of our livestream, so hopefully, it will improve week by week.

ZOOM SUNDAY SCHOOL

Pastor Julian Zugg will continue to teach the adult Sunday School class on the Holy Spirit on Zoom.  Watch your email for the Zoom links to Adult Sunday School, which runs from 9:40-10:30 and the Zoom chat after Evening Worship, which begins around 6:15.

Your officers are praying for you, and are privileged to minister to you in any way that you may find helpful.   And remember, if you are ever in need of spiritual counsel or prayer, please ask me, Pastor Lou, or one of the elders. This is what we are here for.  We are happy to serve you in this way!

Love in Christ,

Pastor Clay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Church Family and Friends,

Most of you know by now that Texas is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases.  In the midst of this surge, several of you have asked if there will be alterations in the church’s plans to hold worship.

The short answer is that, at least for now, we will continue to have in-person worship.  As we do so, we ask that you be especially diligent in wearing masks, social distancing, and washing and sanitizing your hands.

Thank you so much for your willingness to take these measures, and for putting the welfare of others before your own, especially when these measures may run up against your personal preferences.  Our desire is to do as much as possible to keep the church a safe environment for the most vulnerable members.

We also urge you to use great caution in determining whether or not you should attend worship in person. The Centers for Disease Control has expanded their guidelines of medical conditions that may lead to severe infections from the COVID-19 virus.  Please stay safe, and exercise prudence and wisdom as to whether you will put yourself in a greater position to bring harm to yourself or any of your loved ones by coming to worship. Live streaming of our worship services is available, and you may participate in either the Zoom meeting of Sunday school or access the recording that is posted on our Facebook page.

WORSHIP UPDATE

In this past Tuesday night’s session meeting, we agreed to resume celebration of the Lord Supper at the evening service on Sunday, July 19.  In order to reduce hand to hand contact, we will be making some changes in how we distribute the elements. We will let you know more as the time approaches.  We are thankful to have the opportunity once again to benefit from this means of grace.

THE CHURCH AS AN “ESSENTIAL SERVICE”

One of the phrases that has come into our vocabulary this year is “essential service.” Essential services are businesses and institutions that must continue operating for the public welfare despite the risk of contracting and transmitting the COVID-19 virus.

State and local governments have agreed that there are a number of services that meet these criteria. Among the obvious our hospitals, grocery stores, and pharmacies.  But I find it curious that in many states, liquor stores meet the criteria for being an essential service, and churches do not. I would like to think that the church is at least as necessary for the societies well-being as liquor stores are!

I understand the public health risks of large groups of people gathering together, and the need for prudence and caution, as well as the necessity for some to have to forego coming together in person.  While there is a tension that must be navigated here, this does not take away from the necessity of the Church, both for her members and, as salt and light in a dying world.

This post begins to explore the idea of the Church as an essential service to society.  It’s reductionistic to use the vocabulary of “goods and services” to describe the function of the church. The church performs a function that no other institution has been ordained to perform.  The church is the divine institution to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If the salvation of the world is the greatest need, the church is the most essential service on earth.

The article referenced earlier mentions that COVID-19 makes the point that churches are always operating with limited resources.  For now, we have elected not to resume many of the ministries is that we normally perform. The writer suggests is that COVID-19 is a time for the church to reassess her priorities, and leverage her strengths for her God ordained mission.

ZOOM SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES RECORDED

We have started recording the Adult Sunday School class that is offered on Zoom. Those recordings will be made available on the church Facebook page. You can access these at any time.  Both audio and video will be available, either to watch or listen on the Facebook page, or download to your device.

CHURCH SERVICES

Once again, 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.  We are continuously working to improve the quality of our livestream, so hopefully, it will improve week by week.

ZOOM SUNDAY SCHOOL

Pastor Julian Zugg will continue to teach the adult Sunday School class on the Holy Spirit on Zoom.  Watch your email for the Zoom links to Adult Sunday School, which runs from 9:40-10:30 and the Zoom chat after Evening Worship, which begins around 6:15.

Your officers are praying for you. And remember, if you are ever in need of spiritual counsel or prayer, please ask me, Pastor Lou, or one of the elders. This is what we are here for.  We are happy to serve you in this way!

Love in Christ,

Pastor Clay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Church Family and Friends,

We opened up for in-person worship this past Sunday for the first time since March 23.  It was a great joy to see those of you who were able to make it.  This was a huge step in our effort to once again be able to gather together as a congregation as social distancing measures are eased.   This week, we are getting RSVPs for worship attendance.  If you would like to come to morning worship and haven’t sent in an RSVP, there are still a few spots open.  No RSVP is required for evening worship.

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.

SUNDAY SCHOOL TIME CHANGE

Our Adult Sunday School start time has been moved back to the regular time of 9:40, to allow time for those of you who can come to church to be able to make it.  Julian Zugg will continue to teach his class on the Holy Spirit.

READING MATERIAL

Here are a few items for your reading pleasure.

First, I’ve been thinking through the whole idea of ambition in the Christian life.  Often, we associate ambition with self-promotion and self-seeking, which are not behaviors that God calls us to.  But we are to be ambitious to live godly lives, and as Paul writes to the Thessalonians,” to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands . . . “(1 Thess. 4:12, NASB).  This article does an excellent job addressing this in a concise way.

Here is a short article about trusting God through trials and walking by faith, particularly when we don’t know what the Lord will require of us, or when a trial will end.

I doubt many of you are associating COVID-19 with the mark of the beast, but this writer takes the opportunity to address this topic and to redirect us to the purpose of the Book of Revelation, which is to reveal the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ over all his and our enemies that he has won for us.

Here’s an inspiring tribute to a man who faithfully pastored the same church for seventy years!  While most of us would have some doctrinal differences with him, this kind of faithfulness to our Lord is rare, and is to be celebrated.

I enjoyed the blessing of taking six classes from Dr. R. C. Sproul when I was in seminary.  As much as these classes helped to form me into the pastor that I am today.  However, this three minute video on how Dr. Sproul found immense comfort in the promises of God during his final illnesses is one of the most encouraging words that I’ve received  from him.

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.  I really look forward to seeing you again whenever you are able to attend worship.

Love in Christ,

Pastor Clay