Church Family Update - June 28, 2020

Good Friday morning everyone! 

First of all, I want to remind everyone that if you are planning on attending our church service this Sunday then please read through yesterday’s church email so that you can register and know what to expect when you come. 

I know it won’t feel like a regular service but it will be nice to see at least a few more people in the seats instead of just looking at your photos pinned to the backs of chairs. (Yes, those photos are still up and have been for the past months! And you all look great…you haven’t aged a bit.)

Paco & Isabelle got their newsletter to me a little late this week. So I’m attaching the PDF to this Friday update. As always, it will also be posted on our website. There are a lot of jokes in this issue of their newsletter because Paco and Isabelle decided that we could all use a good laugh during these times of uncertainty. My kids and I have been telling jokes and laughing with each other as we helped Paco and Isabelle put the newsletter together. 

Here’s one touching story from the world of Paco and Isabelle. Last week Marco and I delivered the rewards to all the kids who completed their kindness sheet. And along with the gift cards came a note written in crayon by Paco and Isabelle. One young man who is a member of the fan club asked why Pastor Jason was delivering the letters instead of Paco and Isabelle themselves. Just too sweet!

And now…you know what time it is:

Friday Book Discussion!

This week we read the Epilogue from “Recapturing the Wonder” by Mike Cosper.

How was your week? I had one of those weeks when I look back and think, “I’m thankful to have gone through that week, but I don’t want to have another week like that for a long time.” You know what I’m talking about? Hard lessons. They’re good. But they’re hard. 

But hard weeks are just as much part of life as the easy ones. And God is able to use all our weeks to shape us into the people He wants us to be. And so I’m looking back on the week that has passed with joy and gratitude. And I found this epilogue from Mike Cosper’s book to be especially encouraging as I thought about my challenging week.

Cosper reminds us of that strange story about the time when Jacob wrestled with God and received a blessing but also an injury. That’s a complicated story but this epilogue suggests that it can be viewed as a metaphor for our spiritual life. The point is that walking the path of faithful obedience to God and experiencing fellowship with Him is always going to be a struggle during our journey here on earth. We’ll have easier weeks and harder weeks but it shouldn’t surprise us that discipleship is difficult. Of course it is! Jesus said it would be. 

Here’s a quote from the epilogue that I found helpful: “The life we want in Christ is ours free, a gift of grace. And yet, experiencing that life on this side of eternity is a struggle.” Amen. 

I hope this book discussion was encouraging for you. I’m thankful that we’re on this journey together. And I’m even glad for the challenges along the way because I know God is at work in ways that we can’t even imagine. And I know that one day we’ll look back with wonder on this amazing story that God is telling. 

Be blessed.

Press on. 

Enjoy the journey. 

Pastor Jason