Grace ON LINE Devotional
Saturday – Week of the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost
Good Morning
Your officers and staff are working hard on the plans for the re-opening Grace for physical gathering a week from tomorrow. We are following CAL OSHA, CDC guidelines along with best practices and the decrees from our own County Health Officer. As we work through these final preparations for an outdoor service we would love to get your input and hear your concerns.
So tomorrow we will gather for worship but it will continue to be LIVE ON LINE through Facebook LIVE – we will open up just a bit early with the LIVE service starting at 10:00 am. “Grace Lutheran Church Cloverdale CA” page.
Later this morning I will send you the worship resources and readings for out time together tomorrow.
AS WE GATHER
It should be no surprise, for the Lord warned them from the beginning. To follow Christ, to live our Baptism, to be a Christian will not be a life of ease, peace, and abundance, but rather one of trouble and contradiction. All the apostles and prophets found this to be true. Jeremiah’s complaint is repeated by all who have discovered the Christian life is but warfare between life and death. Because Jesus gave Himself to the defeat of the devil and our spiritual slavery by letting it all have its way with Him to the cross, all who believe are freed and made participants in newness of life by simple faith in this grace and mercy of God for us. Jesus says three times today, “Do not be afraid,” so now even with the prophet’s complaint repeated, we can rejoice with him, “Sing to the Lord! Give praise to the Lord!”
The Rev. Fred Karlen
