We Give Thanks
“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1.2-3). These are the words used by Paul to describe his church family as he remembered them. I could not think of a better way to begin this week’s blog as I reflect on all that is happening with our congregation.
You may think, “Nothing is happening…everything is shut down.” Everything may be shut down, but there is much that is happening. It would be easy for church members to simply stay put and weather the storm right now. It would be easy for churches to passively remind members that help is available if they reach out, but leave it at that. (Truthfully, I am not passing judgment on any church doing that. These are unprecedented times for us which came on quickly and provided nobody an opportunity to prepare. There are many who are not equipped to handle this in an effective way and I understand.)
However, I have seen the complete opposite from this church. From day one, many people have looked for opportunities to help and have stepped up. From worship to trivia nights, small groups to bible classes, the level of involvement with our members has been a daily encouragement to me. I hope it has to you as well. I have seen a work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in this congregation even when nearly all doors were closed. Even our virtual calendar is overloaded as you look at our schedule. But that is a good thing. Like Paul, on behalf of our leadership, we give thanks for you.
If I am forced to be stuck in a virtual world due to a global pandemic, I am glad it is with you. As you have already done, please continue to be an encouragement to others. This will be even more important as time continues without resolve. Like Paul to the Thessalonians, I have the utmost confidence that you will continue. I hope you had an opportunity to follow our reading schedule through the gospels. I enjoyed my time through Matthew and Mark. If you missed it last week, I encourage you to pick up with our reading today and spend this week focusing on Jesus in preparation for Easter Sunday. The remaining schedule is below.
Monday – Luke 1-6
Tuesday – Luke 7-12
Wednesday – Luke 13-18
Thursday – Luke 19-24
Friday – John 1-8
Saturday – John 9-17
Sunday – John 18-21