Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,
The Lord has gathered us in the true faith. O come, let us worship him!
From December through May, we recalled the key events in the earthly life of Jesus Christ -- His birth, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit. These seasons of the Church Year have historically been called The Time of Christmas (also including Advent and Epiphany) and The Time of Easter (also including Lent, Ascension and Pentecost Sunday).
Now we've begun The Time of the Church -- the Sundays after Pentecost, from now through November. In the Gospels chosen for the coming months, we circle back to our Lord's teachings and actions, meditating (which comes from a Hebrew word that actually means "chewing") on the green pastures of His saving, forgiving, life-giving Word. It's a fresh time for us to continue growing in God's grace and showing His love in service to our neighbors.
During the Time of the Church, our spiritual diet at Messiah also includes Praying the Catechism - recalling Martin Luther's incisive unpacking of God's Law & Gospel, the Sacraments and the Lord's Prayer, and singing the hymns he and others wrote to fix those foundations of faith in our hearts and minds.
So this latest Time of the Church is a fitting time for us to begin gathering together in person, after 3 months away from each other. I hope you'll be able to join us for outdoor worship this coming Sunday, June 14 at 10 am. (If you're in an at-risk group, or otherwise unable to attend, services will also continue to be offered online via livestreamed video on YouTube and recorded audio.)
Here are a few reminders about this service:
The service will be led by Pastor Blain from the foot of the sanctuary entrance. Music will be led by Rick Krueger. Audio will be amplified (not transmitted via radio).
You'll have two options for seating, both of which will incorporate social distancing practices:
you may sit in your car with windows down, parking as directed by elders and ushers, or;
you may bring portable outdoor seating; you'll be directed to a designated area of the parking lot.
During outdoor services. the restrooms in the fellowship hall foyer will be open for emergency use.
Please plan to arrive early! When you pull into Messiah's driveway, elders and ushers will direct you to the appropriate area of the parking lot and give you service folders (which will contain all readings, responses and music). They'll also collect any offering you bring at that time. (You can also give online.)
We haven't done an outdoor service in quite a while, so we need your help making it happen! If you're coming, we'd appreciate your letting us know by Saturday, June 13. You can RSVP by calling the church office at (616) 363-2553 or by submitting the RSVP form at Messiah's website. The RSVP page now includes a video version of the details above.
We'll resume serving Holy Communion on Sunday, June 21, following our regular schedule (1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays). Special sanitary precautions will be in place for the celebration of the Lord's Supper; watch for more details coming soon.
Please note that there will be no online Bible study this coming Sunday. I'm looking forward to continuing our deep dive into Luther's letter "Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague" -- but given the resumption of in-person worship, this interactive Zoom study might be changed to a different day of the week. Stay tuned ...
Finally, thanks to those of you who have submitted the names of pastors to be considered by the Michigan District as they assemble a new call list for Messiah. Members can submit names by returning a Candidate Information Form to me (by US mail, or by sending a scanned attachment by email) by Tuesday, June 23. You can download the form by clicking here.
As we resume in-person worship and continue online livestreaming, I commend the Collect of the Day for this coming Sunday to your prayerful attention. As is so often the case, it speaks eloquently to the core reason we are part of the Body of Christ here at Messiah:
Almighty, eternal God, in the Word of Your apostles and prophets You have proclaimed to us Your saving will. Grant us faith to believe Your promises that we may receive eternal salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Yours in Him,
Rick Krueger, Parish Assistant
