Dear Friends,
I hope you are enjoying the beautiful days of summer. These days are a reminder that in a world where everything feels so different, the days of sunshine and cool evening breezes remain the hallmark of August in Michigan. Oh, how we need the familiar. Last Sunday night, we gathered on the lawn for Small Church. Some things felt different, of course. It was just a few people; we all wore masks to get to our seats, which were spaced out across the grass. Still, once we started to talk and laugh and pray, it felt like church. It was church. I know the groups are small, and many of you may be waiting for a time and place to connect; be patient and join in when you can. I also know that some of you may not be comfortable joining in, and I hope that you will take advantage of some of the online ways we are connecting. There is a Zoom Prayer Room this Tuesday (August 25th) at 10 am and 7 pm. Please sign up to receive the Zoom link. Call the church office if you want help signing up. (https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/4090548a4a92ba4f49-zoom
A couple of weeks ago, our Tuesday Night Ladies gathered on the lawn for one of Laci’s Gospel Cabarets. I asked Laci to play one of my favorite songs, Sandi Patty’s “Unshakable Kingdom.” That amazing voice of Sandi Patty blasted out into our community from the front lawn, and our group sat in stillness, letting the music and those powerful words sink in.
He walked with crowds alone
Planting a seed in you and me
Crying for those who cried
Dying for those who died
Bursting forth glorified! Alive!
And some of them looked for Him
Sad that it had to end
But some dared to look within and see
The kingdom of God
A kingdom that would never end
The living, unshakeable kingdom of God
Still some of us look for Him
Sad that it has to end
Do we dare to look within and see
The kingdom of God
A kingdom that will never end
The living unshakeable kingdom of God, of God!
In the words of Sandi Patty, do we dare to look within? As we search for the familiar, for the things that are not changed by the pandemic, God calls us to look within. God calls us to search our hearts and find God’s “unshakeable” love and grace. I’ll have more to say about that on Sunday. See you then.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Myra