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Good Friday
April 10
7:00 p.m.
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April 3, 2020
"If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!"
- Luke 19:4
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
How are you all doing? I am grateful to all of you who have reached out to those in need and offered to help. It reminds me of the Mr. Rogers quote, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" We are all having to make huge sacrifices to keep people safe, and it is encouraging to see so many people ready to lay down their lives for others. People have particularly asked about donating food, so we are organizing a food drive for April 7, 8, and 9. Please click here to see how you can help: Food Collection Details.
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. We are all struggling to get our heads around spending this holiday in isolation when it has always been about crowds and palms and children shouting "Hosanna!" This does not feel like a season for joyful shouts.
In Luke's version of the Palm Sunday story, the Pharisees criticize Jesus for letting his disciples make such a scene as he travels toward Jerusalem. And Jesus responds, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out" (Luke 19:40). In the midst of Roman occupation, turmoil, and conflict, something so profound was happening that the very earth itself would sing if people could not!
What was happening? The King had arrived! Not just an earthly king, not a king for that particular time or that particular place. The King of Kings, the Lord of All. The One in whom and by whom all things were made that were made. And that was the best reason for worship ever!
Perhaps the greatest act of faith we can ever do is worship. It is proclaiming "The King is Here!," even while our hearts are crying, "How long, O Lord?" Worship proclaims the truth of God's power and majesty and glory, and it takes great faith to say that in the darkest times of trouble.
David demonstrates this kind of faith in the struggle as he cries out, "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God" (PS 42:5, 11). His worship was an act of defiance against the turmoil and struggle. By determining to praise, he planted his feet firmly in the bedrock of our Almighty God, who will not be shaken.
As we celebrate Palm Sunday and turn our faces toward Easter, let us join with David as we plant our feet on the Solid Rock. We will yet praise Him, our Savior and our God!
The EPC has asked all its churches to join in a Day of Prayer and Fasting on Good Friday. We are connecting with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Jeff Jeremiah, the head of our denomination, writes, "On April 10, we are going to humble ourselves and pray to almighty God for His grace, mercy, and love to heal us, restore us, and relieve us from this crushing burden of disease." The EPC is providing several prayer resources for those who would like to participate. You can read more here: Prayer Resources
This year for Holy Week, we will be offering a Good Friday service at 7pm on both our YouTube channel and Facebook page. Tune in to the same place for our Easter Sunday service at 10am. You can also follow either of those links to see other videos our staff has been posting to encourage you and your families.
While we can't pass the offering plate on Sundays, you are always welcome to mail a check to the church, or you can make a donation online, by clicking the "Donate" button in the bottom sections of our website: mlepc.org. This connects you to the secure Tithe.ly app where you can use your credit/debit card or bank checking account for a one-time donation or automated recurring giving. Elder Dale Ostergaard prepared an "Online Giving" video and a "Using Tithe.ly" instruction sheet for helpful guidance if needed.
Again, please let us know if there is any way we can support you or connect with you during this season. We need to be here for each other now more than ever. The new email, [email protected], has been set up so you can send us any needs, prayer requests, or just updates on how you are doing. And you are always welcome to call us at 412-531-3387.
Many blessings,
Pastor Carolyn
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