Pastor’s Letter – April 25, 2020 – Hear This!

Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

Amos 8:4-5

Dear Church and Friends,

What happens when a child doesn’t understand the reason they are put in time-out? Usually, they go right back and repeat the thing that got them there in the first place. Amos warns the people of Israel not to long to go back to business just to commit the same sins all over again.

We are allowed to listen into their desire in verse 6. It’s the same thing Amos rebuked them for in the first chapter. The shutdown is about to be lifted. Will we go right back to the same manner of living? Have we learned our lesson?

I fear for the church and the nation if we go back to life as usual after this time-out. What is he teaching you? What has he taught you through this event? Let’s not be so anxious to return to things as they were but ask the Lord to deepen our walk and root out unconfessed sin.

Poetry: Affliction (3), by George Herbert.

My heart did heave, and there came forth, O God!
By that I knew that thou wast in the grief,
To guide and govern it to my relief,
Making a scepter of the rod,
Hadst thou not had thy part,
Sure the unruly sigh had broke my heart.
But since thy breath gave me both life and shape,
Thou know'st my tallies, and when there's assigned

So much breath to a sigh, what's then behind?
Or if some years with it escape,
The sigh then only is
A gale to bring me sooner to my bliss.

Thy life on earth was grief, and thou are still
Constant unto it, making it to be
A point of honor now to grieve in me,
And in thy members suffer ill.
They who lament one cross,
Thou dying daily, praise thee to thy loss.

Music: I’ve Just Seen the Rock of Ages, by Don Rigsby.

Prayer Requests: I received an email from Lara Gigandet, telling about all that is happening at the Forrest Park location of Elizabeth Life Center. The following is a copy of that letter. Please keep these ladies in your prayers.

• Hi Pastor Dave, I wanted to pass on an update from Rachel Cunio, our manager, on Women’s Center Forest park and give you a little insight on what’s happening with our center since the stay-at-home order was put in place:- We have served two Abortion Pill Rescue (APR) clients. We have confirmed in one of the cases that both mom and 9-week-old baby are happy and healthy.- We have had at least 6 abortion-minded/ undecided clients decide to carry-to-term after having received a consultation and ultrasound.- We have served over 45 clients through our virtual Earn-While-You-Learn program.- We have served at least 10 families through our Emergency Material Assistance (EMA) program.- We have continued to make community connections, including receiving referrals from Cincinnati area pregnancy centers that are closed during this time.- We have received numerous donations of diapers, wipes, and formula from the local community, including a large donation from St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Liberty Township, that is keeping our boutique and EMA shelves stocked and ready to serve clients.- Staff continues to perform health screenings on clients and wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). We are now providing PPE and hand sanitizer to clients as well. 

Catechism: The Principles of the Christian Religion.

“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

All my best.

The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.

Amos 8:7