A letter from Pastor Strandburg
PSALM 46
God is our refuge
and strength,
a
very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not
fear, though the earth should change,
though
the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and
foam,
though
the mountains tremble with its tumult.
There is a river whose
streams make glad the city of God,
the
holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the
city; it shall not be moved;
God
will help it when the morning dawns.
The nations are in an
uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he
utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with
us;
the
God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of
the Lord;
see
what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the
end of the earth;
he
breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he
burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I
am exalted among the nations,
I
am exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with
us;
the
God of Jacob is our refuge.
I just received these words of Psalm 46 in an e-mail from our Bishop, Cynthia Moore-Koikoi. She followed the Psalm with these words of encouragement for us all: “Periodically there are times when viruses and bacteria shake our world. We are in such a time. Nations like China and Italy are in an uproar. The self-proclaimed kingdom of ‘Wall Street’ is tottering. During times like these I want to remind all of us that: ‘The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.’ God speaks to us: ‘Be still, and know that I am God!’”
During times like these God
has provided us with health professionals and epidemiologists who can provide
us with counsel and wisdom in making these decisions. Please read the
attached information and guidelines prepared by Dr. Jessica
Price who leads our Conference Abundant Health Team. It will
give you some valuable information.
As your Pastor, I would encourage all of us to be prudent in our actions during
these challenging times. Follow the good recommendations, such as those which
Dr. Price has summarized for us. Your church will do the same. We are
monitoring the situation very closely and will follow the advisories and
mandates that come our way. If our local authorities advise the suspension of
large group gatherings in our area, we will do so. Until then, we will maintain
our usual worship schedule. I would encourage our people to follow the
recommendations of our medical personnel as you make your own personal decision
whether or not to attend worship. The elderly, and persons with compromised
immune systems or pre-existing health conditions should take special care. The
Lord will understand if you must worship from home for a time until the present
situation is resolved, and so will I. If you will be so kind to notify the
church of your intentions, then we will be able to keep in touch with you by
other means throughout this emergency.
Do you have a special need? Please let us know. We desire to be of service to
you, even during these extraordinary times. We are just a telephone call away.
The Lord of Hosts is with us!
Pastor Tom