Dear Grace Family: I miss you all! This has been a strange several weeks. While I am grateful for the technology that makes online worship possible, it is not the same as worshipping in person. God willing, we will return to some form of in-person worship before the end of May.
In the meanwhile, I am excited to share that we will close this Sunday’s service with virtual communion, so please remember to have juice, wine, or water and some form of bread present with you at home when we worship Sunday at 11 am.
I appreciate those of you who responded to my request for your personal insights and stories regarding the walk to Emmaus passage in Luke 24: 13-35. Sunday’s sermon will focus on that passage, and your insights have been very helpful.
The walk to Emmaus story is a reminder to us all that when we are discouraged and seeking to escape our circumstances and sadness, God shows up and surprises us and blesses us. We may not recognize Him at first, so we need to be looking for His presence all the time. In my daily Bible reading this month, I am reading five Psalms every day. The Psalms provide a rich expression of the full range of human emotions, and I am learning that the love of God shows up even in the most despairing cries of the human heart. It is not only when we are joyful that God is present. He is present in the midst of our raw anguish, and as the Psalms remind us, He can rescue us from the pit of despair.
Thanks for your continuing prayers and faithful support of Grace. Join worship online at 11 am Sunday, and invite friends to like our Facebook page and to join our online worship each week. As always, contact the church office at (321)452-2420 and follow the prompts to connect with me or Pastor Beth if we can help you in any way. In Christ’s love, Steve Hart