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“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers“ (Ephesians 1:16)

I miss seeing you. I miss being with you.

While we haven’t been gathering in a particular physical place, there are many things The Little Church on the Prairie and Lakewoodgrace hasn’t stopped doing:

• We haven’t stopped worshiping. We continue to worship together every Sunday
• We haven’t stopped meeting in small groups. There are small groups meeting throughout the week
• We haven’t stopped impacting the lives of others through our giving and serving. The ministry of compassion continues.
• We haven’t stopped praying. We continue to pray for one another, our city, and our country
• We haven’t stopped our children’s ministry. Every week, our children and their families are getting instruction and crafts to work on
• We haven’t stopped our youth ministry. They continue to meet by Zoom
• We haven’t stopped our planning and preparing for future ministry. Our committees continue to function. Our session is always looking for better ways to serve our church. Our staff continues to meet weekly to ask how we can equip our members to grow and mature as disciples during this season

Nothing about the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace and her mission has stopped. One day, we will be able to gather again in the sanctuary and Harrison Prep. And that will be a great day. I’m going to hug everyone! But just because we haven’t been able to gather in the sanctuary or a Harrison Prep doesn’t mean the Little Church or Lakewoodgrace ever shut down. Ministry continues.

That’s the reason why “I do not cease to give thank for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

Keep up the great work Little Church!!! Keep up the great work Lakewoodgrace!!!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

I have been calling three people a day since the pandemic. I have had the opportunity to speak with almost everyone from the Little Church.

Recently, I am noticing a distinct pattern from some: this pandemic, the social distancing, not being able to worship in person, not being able to meet with friends is taking an emotional toll.

If you’re a handful of the extreme introverts, this is a fantastic season for you. And there are some people living alone who are doing well. But for the majority of our folks who are living alone, this is taxing. This is painful. This is long. And there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel…none that we can see yet.

• Imagine having had no meaningful human physical contact for two and half months. No hugs. No hand shakes. No pat in the back. No contact.
• Imagine having no face to face conversations.

I am asking you, the church, to be the church. Go through the directory, close your eyes and picture a typical Sunday morning and ask God to call to mind someone you ought to be reaching out to today. God comforts us so that we can comfort those who are hurting around us. To be the church has more to do with how we honor God by loving the people around us than it does with gathering in any building.

I am asking you, the church, to be the church. Be there for someone who needs a human contact today. And you just may discover that you needed the call as much as the other person needed to hear from you today.

“Blessed be the God…who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.”

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

If you’re anything like me this is the way we read this psalm – “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” I like the idea of God being near and saving me. That’s what I want. 

But look at the context in which God is near and saves. “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.“

Too often we want God’s presence and salvation but aren’t willing to be brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. That’s a problem. There’s something about being brokenhearted by the things that wreck God’s heart, and being crushed in spirit by the happenings of our lives that draws us into God’s presence that we seek God’s salvation.

I don’t about you, but this pandemic stuff is getting old. This is hard. And particularly for those who live alone, this is a really, really, hard, crappy, lonely, desperate season.

If you find yourself here, good news. You’re a prime candidate for God’s presence and salvation.

Take a moment right now.

• Get silent.
• Close your eyes.
• Plant the soles of your feet on the ground.
• Turn your hands face up.
• Take ten deep slow breaths – breaths that completely fill your lungs and empties them.
• And ask for God’s presence to cover you and give you peace.

Make this a regular practice of your day. The way we not only make it through, but actually grow and mature during this season is by God’s presence and salvation. Really. Make this a daily practice.