Dear church,
Fall worship and fellowship opportunities are listed down below. Note two morning services starting Oct. 25th and Selah Nights on Thursdays. We realize some of you do need to worship remotely, but if you have concerns or if something is preventing you from joining us – instead of silently staying away, I encourage you to speak with me or your shepherding group officer. We would be happy to talk to you, pray with you, and explore ways to minister to you faithfully.
Why did the Philistine champion Goliath demand a one-on-one duel while the armies of Israel and the Philistines stood parked on two mountains with a valley in between for as many as 40 days? We are told that Saul and Israel “were dismayed and greatly afraid.” There was a strategic disadvantage to whoever charges first through the valley and through the brook (from where David picks up the five smooth stones) – they will be attacked from the mountaintop and stand to lose.
But the Old Testament is full of foolish battle strategies. E.g. going around a city seven times and shouting for the walls to crumble down! David knew this and had, himself, experienced the deliverance of God “against the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear.” So jealous for God’s name and trusting in his power, David is moved to take on the giant in a man-to-man duel.
Fearful, Saul offered the youth his royal armor, but David eventually declined it for “he had not tested them.” What he had tested was God’s power as a shepherd boy. So, he took his staff and five smooth stones from the brook and approached Goliath in the valley. True faith often seems foolish. But it is not blind faith. Indeed, it is a faith that can see an invisible God and his power.
For 40 days of tempting Israel, David speaks to Goliath one word: LORD! “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel…that all this assembly may know the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
As Luther’s great hymn says, “The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him, his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him.” Satan prefers to take us on one-on-one. He loves to isolate us and deal with us individually. In response, we either get dismayed and remain parked without fighting or try to take him on using “Saul’s armor.” Both will fail.
Ultimately, “did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing; were not the right man on our side the man of God’s own choosing.” Do you ask who that is? Christ Jesus it is he! The Lord Jesus Christ is our true and ultimate David who defeats Goliath and the whole Philistine army – all alone on the cross. Like David chops off Goliath’s head, Jesus crushes the head of the ancient serpent on the cross by shedding his own blood. Another of those foolish battle strategies – greatest one, at that! For the foolishness of God is greater than the might of God.
Our battle, ultimately, is not against flesh and blood. Resorting to swords, spears, or Saul’s armors are vain. All we need is five smooth stones. We need the full armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit – the word of God (Eph. 6).
If I were to “choose” these five smooth stones that help us appropriate the armor of God, perhaps I might pick:
- Word – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
- Prayer – In everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
- Worship – Oh come, let us worship and bow down before the LORD.
- Witness – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.
- Fellowship – Stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together.
These stones all go together in David’s pouch. They reinforce and sharpen (or smooth) one another. You never know which one will knock the next Goliath down. So, keep them all. As pastors and elders, we realize the unique trials and temptations that accompany this long-drawn pandemic. Our desire is the same as usual – to bring you to the feet of Christ in worship and fellowship that you may “stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”
Please note the following additions/changes to worship this fall:
- Two Sunday Morning Services: 9a & 11a starting October 25th. Our deacons have developed a careful sanitization plan between services, including wiping down surfaces out of an abundance of caution. Space-quality air scrubbers are already in place to purify the air.
- Sunday Evening Worship: 6:30pm. This is now moved indoors due to weather.
- Selah Nights: Thursdays 7pm starting October 22nd. Led by Ross and a pastor or elder, these will be evenings for prayer and songs of worship.
- Youth Group: Tuesdays 7-8:30pm in the Chapel. Andrew and Chantel invite all 6-12th graders for a study in Philippians, prayer, and fellowship.
- Drive-in Communion Service: Thursdays 1pm, as usual, in church parking lot.
- Women’s Face-to-Face: Friday Oct. 23rd at 7pm. At this gathering, Jillian Perkins will share her testimony.
- Sunday School will likely be offered remotely due to space constraints.
- Women’s Bible studies are led by Sylvia Winans via Zoom on Thursday mornings 10a.
- Men’s Ministry meets the first Saturday of the month in the church narthex at 8am.
All in-person events will follow Covid regulations as listed HERE
So, there are plenty of opportunities to stay connected to Christ and his body.
I realize I am listing what usually goes in the announcements. But I wanted to personally inform and invite you to these. For the world, all this is foolishness, devoid of power. “But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
In Christ,
Pastor Shiv