Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ. Once again I borrow a greeting from the apostle Paul, but I do so in the full knowledge of the power of such a blessing.
Grace has many definitions, but the one I mean for this letter is ‘ may the power of God that transforms us from sinner to saint be upon you’ and peace, the wholeness of God the abundance of God revealed in and through Jesus Christ also be with you. So I say again ‘grace and peace to you’.
I also want to commend you. I have been deeply moved and encouraged by the way we are being church while we are scattered. Thank you for the way you are without prompting caring for one another, sharing encouraging words, praying, engaging with the scriptures in pairs over the phone, and meeting face-to-face-online. What a blessings!
I want to give thanks for the frontline workers engaged in bringing care to sick and doing everything possible to stop the spread of disease. I want to thank those who continue to pray for the destruction of this pandemic.
As we navigate the road ahead of us can I ask all of us to gain some perspective. Yes, this is terrible, the loss of lives is a tragedy, there is real risk, it’s an anxious time, and there is much we must contribute for the well being of others around us. But let us remember, in the society in which we live – are we really doing it so tough with our phones, emails, social media, tv, live streaming, access to hospitals and food, and huge financial safety net. We have a government that cares and a praying faithful Prime Minister.
For many in the world, the risk of life and death is daily for refugees, for those who live in war zones or under dictatorship. For many in the world there is no access to health care or financial lifelines – there is only threat. What we encounter now is a daily issue for them and then add a pandemic.
Rather, hold on to what is immovable and unshakable – our God – who loves you and wants good things for you. We are truly blessed.
Further, please do not ignore your feelings, your emotions – they are not a bad thing – they are a gift from God. Don’t let them guide or dictate your life but do not push them down, otherwise you will have to deal with them later. Rather acknowledge them. Because we follow Jesus we have the privilege of being able to name them before him (both good and bad) and ask Him what he has to say about our fear, anxiety, stress, depression, and frustration to name but a few things.
Often we are like Elijah the prophet who after slaying the prophets of Baal has his life threatened by Jezebel and runs of and in the face of threat sits down under a bush to die. 1 Kings 19
Yet even in this moment of fear God meets him and sustains him. He finds himself in a cave and here at the mouth of the cave – his new hiding place, he encounters God, is restored and discovers that he is not alone in the fight.
My friends sometimes we can feel like chucking it all in in the face of threat, sometimes we find ourselves in a cave called depression, fear, alcohol, binge watching Netflix completely unaware that God wants us to name our feelings and emotions and meet with him and be restored so that we might fulfil the destiny God has for us.
We have been called to be followers of Jesus for a time such as this. The question we all need to answer is – ‘who are you going to be in this moment, in this time?’
I wonder if David the young shepherd boy woke up the morning he was to meet Goliath on the battle field and said, ahh today I will destroy a giant. No, it came as a surprise to him. What was the greatest surprise was the posture of the army of Israel – cowering in fear and defeat in the face of the enemy. David’s response was ‘Not on my watch is the enemy going to prevail.’
So, ‘what are you going to do?’ Who are you going to be in this moment?
Once again we prayer the favour of God be all over you.
Mark and Marie
PS
Thank you for the increased financial support through direct deposits. If you can when you do your banking can you please take the opportunity to deposit your tithes and offerings into one of the accounts below. If you are putting aside your offering for an opportune time – thank you. We will try to figure a safe and ethical way to receive your giving and be in touch.