Dear Church Family,
Thank you for watching and worshiping with us online this weekend!
In case you missed the service or had internet connection issues here’s a link to the complete recording on our YouTube channel so that you can watch it sometime today or whenever you are able to On Demand. Also be sure and check out the fantastic resources being provided for kids and families by Janette, our DSKids Director! I can’t wait to see you sharing “chalk your walk” pictures 🙂
This weekend Christians all over the world were experiencing online worship, many of them for the first time. Many churches and their tech teams (including ours) dug deep to make new platforms available to build a sense of community and connection.
The word today from around the world is that many people were experiencing internet slowdowns during livestreaming, longer than normal lag times on social media, and other connectivity issues. Perhaps you experienced that too.
So on the one hand, I understand if that feels frustrating. As someone who lives to see the gospel shared with more people, I have to the fight against the lure of disappointment sometimes. It shouldn’t be so hard to connect together as the Christian church, right? But on the other hand, think of it this way. This morning was the day the Christian church crashed the internet! Millions of people were so hungry for community, connection, and a message of hope that the internet seemingly couldn’t keep up!
What does that mean? I believe that right now—even in the darkness—the Light of Christ is shining brighter than ever. I believe that right now—even in this time of social distancing—God is giving us the opportunity to do what He designed the church to do all along and be a beacon of hope to people in desperate need.
So even with what maybe seem like obstacles all around us, this is an opportunity to remember that God didn’t just call us to go to church. He called us to be the church and by all possible means to reach out to our world with the gospel message of our Savior. God promises to work through all our efforts—digital or otherwise—to work saving faith in people’s hearts. For it is the gospel message of our Savior alone that can truly calm our hearts, chase away our worries, and guide us safely one day into God’s presence in heaven.
I give thanks to God today for all of you in my Divine Savior Church family, for all our tireless volunteers, for your prayers on my behalf and for each other as well as all your gifts of love that help us continue this ministry that we share.
I’m here for you as your pastor. I’m praying for you at such a time as this. May Jesus keep your bodies healthy and your spirits strong in saving faith. I look forward to connecting with you online again soon. Stay tuned to our website and be sure and follow us on social media for daily encouragement in God’s Word.
God bless you all this new week of His amazing grace!
In His grip,
Pastor Ben
