Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,
Our next worship service of Morning Prayer will be this coming Sunday, September 13 at 10 am. Rev. Dieter Haupt will once again be leading us in worship and proclaiming God's Word.
Continued thanks for all your help conducting our services in a prudent way that minimizes risk. You can help us keep on going by:
Staying home if you are sick or have underlying medical conditions.
Maintaining minimum 6-foot social distancing by 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.
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 our Worship Resources page) if you cannot attend.
A reminder that we will also hold a Special Voters' Meeting following this Sunday's service, starting between 11:15 and 11:30 am. The purpose of the meeting is to consider our Call Committee’s latest recommendations, and to work together to call a pastor to be our next shepherd at Messiah. Special arrangements are being made to conduct this meeting in as safe and prudent a manner as possible. More details are available on our website; please contact Jonathan Chaffer, our congregation president, or Mark Altemann, the chairman of our call committee, directly if you have questions.
Our next online Adult Bible study will be available on Sunday as well! We’ll dig into Psalm 103, which praises God for all His saving benefits. How many ways does David talk about God’s love, and what theme is present in all of them? Who joins us in praising the Lord for His love given us in Jesus Christ? And how many hymns in Lutheran Service Book are based on this Psalm? Let’s find out together! The study will be posted on our YouTube channel Sunday morning by 8:30 am, for viewing at the best time for you. You can get a head start by downloading a study guide from our Bible Studies webpage.
And, remember that Messiah's long-awaited Garage Sale is happening next week, on Friday,September 18, 4-8 pm and on Saturday, September 19, 9 am - 2 pm. This year's proceeds will support renovations of a portion of the basement for an expanded play/large motor area for preschool, and child care for any future planned outreach activities. Sponsored by our Parish Service Guild, the Garage Sale is no longer accepting item donations for this year's sale, but will need plenty of volunteer help; contact Sandy Hoffman or Lori Kearney if you can pitch in!
This coming Sunday, our worship focuses on God's astonishing gift of forgiveness. The Psalmist reminds us that because of Jesus Christ,
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:10-12 ESV)
Secure in that precious gift, I look forward to being with you on September 13 to feed on God's saving Word, to sing His praises, and to call the man that we pray will be our next shepherd, trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit!
Yours in Christ,
Rick Krueger, Parish Assistant
