Letter to the congregation

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Presently First Lutheran Church may be closed to worship, activities, and groups, but the work of the church has never been in the building—it has always been Christians loving the Lord above all else, and their neighbors above themselves. Jesus commands believers to make the most of their time, because the days are fleeting. We make the most of our time by working with integrity at our jobs, and using our increased free time to care for our neighbors. I urge you to be intentional about emailing or messaging friends. Perhaps start a prayer group through Zoom. Take five or six friends, and read a book like Ephesians every day for two weeks. Talk every day about what you are learning and how it affects your worship.

Finally, I think it is vital that we ask God prayerfully how we can combat this virus and aid our local community, the state we live in, and even the country in our professional work. If we previously worked as caregivers or health care professionals, is there some way we can contribute? If we work as teachers, social workers, or counselors, is there some way we can support parents in our community who may be working as first responders or medical professionals and are struggling to meet the demands of their job and of their family?

While churches are closed, encourage one another as much as you are able.

I believe it is important that we all ask how we can use our prayer life, our personal lives, and our professional lives to serve God and our neighbor. And then, after listening, see where God may be leading us.

Blessings and peace,

Pastor Steve