Our sermon text for this Sunday on the persistent widow is going to start with Luke 18:1 “Jesus told the disciples a parable so that they would always pray and not lose heart.” Those are good words for us this week. We are going to get through this together. Most of you have been through worse personally and God was with you. He is with Glendale Lutheran church today.
Here is our response to the Corona crises:
Services are being streamed on Sundays and Wednesday from the website
www.glendalelc.com. If you need help streaming, call my cell at 805-345-6658 before Sunday. We had almost 20 households watch on Wednesday. Michelle is working from home so I prefer you call me directly on my cell. She is still creating the bulletins. There is one posted on the website and one will be emailed to you prior to the service. It works best to print the bulletin and watch the service. Each bulletin has the words to the hymns so you can sing with us. The skeleton crew working the service will be me, Jim, someone to work the board and a handful of singers. Jerry is recruiting singers if you would like to be a part. I will still broadcast Sunday morning Bible class. This week David Eberle is going to present on Healthy families.
Offering can be mailed to the church or use tithely on our website.
We have canceled potlucks and Palm Sunday breakfast. All outside groups are no longer meeting on our site except for Alcoholics Anonymous and they know about the ten person limit. CCLS early childhood education has stopped. They are looking into being available for emergency personnel families.
Council is meeting tonight to discuss everything. If you have any input, contact me, one of our elders (Mike Toney, John Steele, Jason DeBord) or one of our council members (Terry Buchholz, Mike Murphy, Sandy Barbercheck, Lisa Grossenheider, Jeff Wille, Roger Lubben, and Bob Jacobson).
If you would like communion, call or text me and we can make that happen. You can come to the church during the week or I can come to you, whatever makes you feel safe. I really want anyone in our church that needs special help to let me or another member know. This is our time to go out of our way to bless each other. Several people have offered to buy groceries or anything you need. Don’t be stubborn. Speak up and let the church be the church. We love each other as Christ loves us.
I ask everyone who reads this to call people in the directory who you are worried about. I have called all of our shut-ins to let them know that we care and are praying for them. Most of their institutions are not allowing clergy visits. I have also called many others checking on them. I’d love for you to do the same. Listen to the Holy Spirit and call those on your heart.
Finally, on Sunday we are going to continue the tradition of asking for prayer requests. The way you give them to me is to text me at 805-345-6658. During the prayer time I will read every text sent to me on Sunday morning. God is good all the time. I miss you all. This is only for a short season.
