Hello Friends,
As many of you know, news of the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) is changing daily, even hourly, and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
For the safety of our church members and the community at large, worship will be canceled this Sunday and the following Sundays until further notice. We will also be cancelling our midweek soup suppers, evening worship services, the preschool and all non-essential meetings. In the meantime, we will explore ways to stay connected through on-line worship, Bible study and devotion. We will have weekly Sunday worship services through the online platform Zoom, and will post them on our website. We will also hold Thursday morning Bible Study on Zoom. In addition to Sunday worship, I will go on Facebook live for mid-week worship and short devotion. If you are on Facebook, please make sure to 'like' the Ascension Lutheran Church page so that you can be notified when I go live.
Gathering for worship is a vital part of our Christian life together, so we don't make such decisions lightly. Yet, Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). While we don't have absolute clarity of how to live out this command, in this situation we have determined we must do our part in the larger effort to stop the transmission of the disease so that our health care system will not be overwhelmed by people in need of care. We must also be mindful of those most at risk- the elderly, people living in poverty, and immunocompromised persons in particular. Loving our neighbor means showing solidarity with our health care workers, vulnerable people, and our community at large.
We also prayerfully contemplate ways to care for one another during this time of uncertainty as we must now 'shelter in place.' Some of our most vulnerable members may need groceries or a prescription filled and brought to their doorsteps. Some may be anxious and simply appreciate a phone call. This is a good time to reach out to them and offer love and support.
We remember and pray for all affected, including nurses, doctors and health care workers, the elderly and immunocompromised people, service workers whose income will be greatly reduced because of the pandemic, homeless people, migrants and prisoners in confinement. We pray that God protect them from all illness and fear.
Finally we remember God's great love for us and the whole world. Even though we are separated, we are all gathered under the wide shelter of God's love. We are never alone, and Christ gives us "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7).
If you have some need at this time, please don't hesitate to email me [email protected] or contact the church office. We don't need to go through this alone, even if we must be isolated from each other for a time. We are all in this together, and though we be far apart, we are always near to one another in the Spirit.
In Christ's love,
Pastor Rick and the Executive Committee
As many of you know, news of the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) is changing daily, even hourly, and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
For the safety of our church members and the community at large, worship will be canceled this Sunday and the following Sundays until further notice. We will also be cancelling our midweek soup suppers, evening worship services, the preschool and all non-essential meetings. In the meantime, we will explore ways to stay connected through on-line worship, Bible study and devotion. We will have weekly Sunday worship services through the online platform Zoom, and will post them on our website. We will also hold Thursday morning Bible Study on Zoom. In addition to Sunday worship, I will go on Facebook live for mid-week worship and short devotion. If you are on Facebook, please make sure to 'like' the Ascension Lutheran Church page so that you can be notified when I go live.
Gathering for worship is a vital part of our Christian life together, so we don't make such decisions lightly. Yet, Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). While we don't have absolute clarity of how to live out this command, in this situation we have determined we must do our part in the larger effort to stop the transmission of the disease so that our health care system will not be overwhelmed by people in need of care. We must also be mindful of those most at risk- the elderly, people living in poverty, and immunocompromised persons in particular. Loving our neighbor means showing solidarity with our health care workers, vulnerable people, and our community at large.
We also prayerfully contemplate ways to care for one another during this time of uncertainty as we must now 'shelter in place.' Some of our most vulnerable members may need groceries or a prescription filled and brought to their doorsteps. Some may be anxious and simply appreciate a phone call. This is a good time to reach out to them and offer love and support.
We remember and pray for all affected, including nurses, doctors and health care workers, the elderly and immunocompromised people, service workers whose income will be greatly reduced because of the pandemic, homeless people, migrants and prisoners in confinement. We pray that God protect them from all illness and fear.
Finally we remember God's great love for us and the whole world. Even though we are separated, we are all gathered under the wide shelter of God's love. We are never alone, and Christ gives us "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7).
If you have some need at this time, please don't hesitate to email me [email protected] or contact the church office. We don't need to go through this alone, even if we must be isolated from each other for a time. We are all in this together, and though we be far apart, we are always near to one another in the Spirit.
In Christ's love,
Pastor Rick and the Executive Committee
