Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,
Thank you so much for your response as we returned to indoor worship! We will hold the Divine Service indoors this coming Sunday, August 16 at 10 am; we thank Rev. North Sherrill of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids for providing us with God's Word and Sacraments.
Since our return indoors is a continued work in progress, the Board of Elders and I also thank you for all your help conducting our services in a prudent way that minimizes risk. You can help us keep moving forward by:
Staying home if you are sick or have underlying medical conditions.
Maintaining minimum 6-foot social distancing in these ways:
sitting on both sides of the sanctuary, with family groups alternating at the ends of every other pew. "No Seating" signs have been placed to assist with spacing. Family groups should space themselves 6 feet (approximately 3 people) apart from other family groups.
Holy Communion will be brought to you in the pews by the pastor and elders (who will be masked and gloved). Please plan to stand as able when they approach your seat, receiving the body of Christ in your open hand, then taking an individual cup from the tray to receive the blood of Christ.
Please leave in family groups starting from the rear of the Sanctuary at the end of the service. Please return your individual cup to the glass bowl in the narthex on your way out. For now, please greet each other outdoors following the service.
Wearing face coverings (mask, scarf, or bandana), which are recommended though not required. Masks will be available at the Welcome Center.
Offerings can be given electronically or will be taken at the sanctuary door.
Watching or listening to our worship service video (livestreamed and archived on YouTube) or audio (recorded and uploaded to www.messiahgr.org) if you cannot attend.
Noting that the Board of Elders will continue to explore alternative delivery of Word and Sacrament, especially for those at risk during the ongoing pandemic. If you are interested in a small service for high-risk individuals that would be offered on Monday mornings, please contact me or Pastor Peterson.
Our next online Adult Bible study will be available on Sunday as well! On August 16, We look at Psalm 67, in which God’s people praise Him for His faithfulness and ask Him to fulfill His promises. How is the Lord’s steadfast love for Abraham, Moses and His Church reflected in this Psalm? How did Jesus fulfill Israel’s prayers for themselves and all nations? (And how did Martin Luther turn this Psalm into a hymn?) The study will premiere on our YouTube channel at 8:30 am on Sunday; you can watch before worship or later! And you can get a head start by downloading a study guide from our Bible Studies webpage.
Looking ahead, Messiah's Board of Trustees has asked me to announce an Outdoor Project Night on Wednesday, August 26 from 6 pm until dusk. To get ready for fall, the Trustees will be tackling maintenance and clean-up projects. Contact Carol Mushong if you have questions, or to let the Trustees know you'll be there.
With August almost halfway over, planning for fall is definitely in swing here at Messiah. But I've realized -- probably more than I ever have before -- that, whatever plans are in process for Preschool, Christian education, our next pastoral call and more, our lives and times are ultimately in the loving hands of our heavenly Father. Saved and strengthened by His living, active Word, by remembering our Baptism daily, by the Lord's Supper which feeds us food of immortality, I pray that all of us continually look to Jesus, "the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2 ESV)
Yours in Him,
Rick Krueger, Parish Assistant
