Below please find my article for the Church's May Newsletter. As you will see we have decided to continue with our 'Online' only worship services for at least three more Sundays. The Christian Council will meet again on May 19th to review the situation in our community and determine if we can safely start to worship in the building again.
Please keep praying!!
Be a blessing to someone today!
In Christ,
Roy
Well, by the time you receive this it will likely be May and we will have had the strangest “May Day” of all time. I seriously doubt anyone was out giving “May Baskets” this year (though this tradition has sharply fallen off) due to the fears of Covid-19. Hopefully, this note finds you all well and holding up through this most unorthodox time that we are all enduring.
We have not met (as you all know) as a congregation since March 15th. It's been a difficult time for me as I do rely on being and supported by each of you. I have missed everyone and it is my fervent prayer that this will be over sooner than later. Please keep praying!!
As you likely know, Governor Reynolds has decided to allow Churches to meet again as long as they strive to abide by the 'Social-Distancing Guidelines'. In light of this new 'loosening' of the restrictions on gathering, the Christian Council met last night to discuss what we would do here at Woodlawn. The Council after much discussion and with the generous console of Dr. Eric Holm, decided that we would continue our present course for another three Sundays. So... we will not be gathering here at the Church and we will continue to 'Live-Stream' the Sunday Worship and Thursday Night Worship. We will also continue the 9 am 'Daily Devotions' that I have been 'Live-Streaming' each morning (Mon-Sat) on Facebook.
The Christian Council will meet again on May 19th to determine whether we will then start to gather or if we will continue as we are for another few weeks. Here locally, (as far as I know) only one church is planning to restart formal worship this weekend. I know that one isn't going to reconsider the current path until the second Sunday of June. I do believe that with Eric's kind console we have plotted out a prudent path and again, I ask you all to remain in prayer for everyone.... please pray for guidance for the Church leaders as well.
Trying to decide when it is time to restart formal worship is difficult... there is so much fear out there and we're dealing with something, unlike anything we've encountered in our lives. This virus is just so unusual and it has so many aspects that are as of yet unknown and/or poorly understood that we are right in giving it due caution. However... I will confess that the old 'Cowboy' in me knows one thing very clearly... you cannot let fear rule you... you have to get back on that horse... and the longer you wait the more afraid you will be.
NOW... the situation that we are in best fits this analogy of getting back on that ornery ole horse. You've taken a hard toss, that pony piled you up pretty good and you've broken an arm. Would it be wise to just get back in the saddle... NO! You go to the hospital, you get your arm set, you let that bone heal... and as soon as the doctor tells you that your arm is good to go and the bone has regenerated... you get your hind-end in the saddle shed and you pick up your saddle and you ride that horse...
The longer we avoid that encounter with that ornery pony, the more afraid of him we'll be... the longer we keep ourselves isolated, the more afraid of one another we will be. Remember this ALWAYS, the Bible says “fear not” three hundred and sixty-five times! That's one “fear not” for each and every day of the year... we were not created to live in fear.
Now, remember that in the analogy that I just spelled out for you, that we waited for the Doctor to give us the all-clear... we did not just rush in, nor did we wait any longer than we had to...
In many ways, we're relying on our Doctor here as well (Eric is good, sound, and wise console) so relax, stay safe, and wait... because when the time comes... we've got a horse to ride...
Be a blessing to someone today!!! Pastor Roy
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