Monday, March 23, 2020

WEEKLY FRAMEWORK:
Perhaps one of the most famous signs Jesus performed was feeding 5,000+ people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Those that followed Jesus thought he was finally getting to the point of what he could do for them. They were more enamored with the signs than with what the signs were pointing to.

Monday's Devotional
Based on Pastor Eric's daily study guide

For years, we've questioned if some digital means of communication - particularly texting and social media - were acting as a poor substitution for face-to-face contact. Now these media serve as safe ways to connect to people in a time when a face-to-face conversation poses a potential health risk for both parties.

Our question now isn't whether those options should substitute for face-to-face contact, but, rather, how we can best use them to stay connected. In the midst of a global health crisis, today's scripture reminds us of how followers of God are still called to treat others even in a time when it feels like we should be putting ourselves first.

Be compassionate,
be kind,
be humble,
be gentle,
and
be patient.
Be tolerant.
Be forgiving.
But most of all, be loving as we strive to stay united.

In this time of physical separation, let us not forget the tools available to us to stay connected to each other. Make a phone call to the person you usually sit next to in worship. Text the person you chat with each week in the Community Room. Use social media to connect with the person you wave to in the parking lot.

In a time when you don't physically encounter those who you usually see, strive to still be the physical embodiment of God as the Holy Spirit works through you to love others.

For Reflection:
In today's scripture passage, the Apostle Paul is telling a new community of Jesus followers how they should treat one another. How would you define an "authentic" relationship? Have you been in a relationship where you or the other person had an agenda? How did that go?

Asbury's leadership continues to actively monitor the developing situation. We'll update you with decisions as they're made.



While General Conference 2020 has been postponed, the series of "listening sessions" to help inform on the various proposals being put forth are still being held online. Sessions are on March 25 and April 2, 4, and 20. Learn how to join these sessions, held on Zoom, on the Eastern PA Conference's GC2020 webpage.

In times of crisis, our comfort can come from the assurance that we have in Jesus as our Savior.

One of the beloved hymns that we sing is "Blessed Assurance" by Fanny Crosby. In this video, Rev. Alfred Day of the General Commission on Archives and History tells us why the life story of this 19th century poet is as inspiring as the words in that well-loved hymn.





Previously shared study resources:
The Women Who Knew, produced by EPAUMC North District

For SPARK (3-4yr olds)
 Download this week's Parent Cue 

For BLAST (PreK- 5th grades)
Read Colossians 1:14 

This passage talks about who?

Yes, Jesus!

God sent His only Son, Jesus, to do what no one else could do. He willingly faced the worst punishment of all, death on a cross, for you and for me. Why? So that we could be forgiven. 

Grab some masking tape and a piece of paper. Use the masking tape to create a cross in the center of the page. Use a crayon or marker to color the page any way you choose. When finished, remove the tape in the center to reveal the cross. Then, write today's verse inside the cross, filling in the blanks as indicated below.

"Because of what Jesus has done, ____________________ has been set free. Because of Jesus, all my sins have been forgiven."
Colossians 1:14

Have you heard this good news before? Do you understand why Jesus chose to give His life so that you could be forgiven? If not, ask your parent or another trusted adult who follows God about what Jesus has done. Pray that God would help you follow Him and trust in Jesus so that you can be forgiven.

God, we want to strive to be a Church that You want to bless!
Help us to so humble ourselves that we compel you to empower us like never before for ministry. And help us to communicate such joy, such truth, such grace and such passion in our worship that we compel others to join the experience of praising You.
Amen.

A note on prayers: to respect confidentiality, we will not be sharing specific prayer requests via email; however our prayer team is still actively praying for every request that they receive. If you have a prayer request, send it to the prayer team at prayer@asburylv.org.

Precautions related to the coronavirus will have an impact on our activities and gatherings. We recognize that they may also have a negative impact on our giving. Please continue to give and support our ministries as you are able. You can visit asburylv.org/give to give a one-time or recurring gift on PushPay, our online giving portal; or you can mail a check to the church.

Rev. Steve Morton, our District Superintendent, reminds us that "[we as] Christians GIVE not because of the church's need to receive... but because of OUR need to say "Thank You" to an amazingly-generous God - and in the midst of national crisis, that good news has not changed!"

Although our activities may be curtailed for a time, our fixed expenses for our ministries and building operations continue. Also, we value our staff, who will continue to be here to support you; and they will continue to be compensated in full. 

Thank you for your continued support!

Catch up on past announcements, devotionals, and resources at  asburylv.org/coronavirus .



All updates regarding Asbury's response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will also be shared at that page; as well as via email blast and on our social media feeds ( Facebook and Twitter).



Asbury's building is officially closed and has been deep cleaned. We are asking that no one enter the building until it reopens (at this point the target date is Sunday, March 29).



Please know that during the time that the office is closed, all calls to Asbury are being received by our answering service, as there is no one available in the office to take your call. Any messages you leave with the answering service are forwarded to us and we will relay your message to the appropriate staff member to respond to you as soon as possible.



Reschedule dates (if applicable) for events will be communicated when available.
No physical meetings are being held at Asbury or off-site; but please check with your group/Circle leader to see if there are plans for your group to connect online.

Connect with us online
www.asburylv.org