From the Pastor's Desk 8/20/2021

This week brings us to the final installment of "Bread for All" from John 6. Many get 'fed up' with Jesus and turn away. When he asks The Twelve if they also want to leave, Peter speaks for them all: "Lord, to whom can we go?..." Peter discerns Jesus as "the Holy One from God" and The Twelve decide to keep following.

Last night's Council and Committees meeting gave church leaders an opportunity to discern and decide how best to show love for one another in this season of COVID resurgence. It wasn't an easy decision to ask you all to start wearing masks again in church, even if you are vaccinated, and it was even harder to decide to refrain from singing together in worship, at least for the time being. But we want to do everything possible to keep our children and most vulnerable members safe from infection.

The new Delta variant is much more contagious, and some of our members have already become "breakthrough" cases - testing positive even though they've been fully immunized. So, whatever your personal feelings about this decision may be, know that it was not made lightly, and your Church Council is doing its best to discern how we can show Christ's love for one another as we move forward into the future, and keep following Jesus.

Next week, we begin a new sermon series from the book of James. It's called "Faith Works" and I hope you will invite someone to join you in worship, whether in person and masked, or online. Let's learn together how working your faith develops a faith that works! See you in church, Church! - Pastor Jo Anne