Good Friday morning Church Requel!
I will continue to regard our Friday mornings together as "good" even though Covid continues to run rampant. This morning I just learned another dear friend of mine is very sick with the illness. How many opportunities to pray right now! I do urge you not to grow tired of praying for one another. We have the chance to strengthen our praying vocal cords right now - and that is a good thing!
The New Godsfield Co-op. This past Wednesday morning I attended the monthly meeting of the Godsfield Co-op. This used to be known as the Inter-church Council of Mansfield, which as I understood it was made up mostly of leaders of the Downtown Mansfield churches. This past October this group, under the leadership of Paul Lintern, transitioned to become the "Godsfield Co-op."
Beyond the change in the name, the group has welcomed other important supportive ministries beyond churches and has welcomed lay leaders of these various groups to represent them in the monthly cooperative meetings. Ministries such as Love, Inc., Addy's Attic, Fresh Start, and Elijah's House (and many others) join together in common Christian purpose with churches in Mansfield. What began 3 years ago as a prayer ministry (and certainly continues - the 31 Day March of Prayer is just around the corner) has become a means of working closely together to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
To say that I LOVE this is the under-statement of the year! Another thing I love about this is that the group is made up of more lay leaders than pastors! If any of you would like to join me in attending this wonderful group of caring AND doing people, let me know! The Godsfield Co-op group meets monthly on the second Wednesday morning at 10am. Each month is in a different church or ministry location so we have the opportunity to see these ministries in action. So cool!
Our Worship Plans For Sunday. I know many of you are concerned about Covid right now and so are not gathering in public places like you once did. I really hate this, but at the same time I do understand your concern. I do pray that you don't neglect the opportunity to gather with us online using either Facebook or YouTube. It is even more vital during these trying times to remain connected with the body of Christ!
When you do connect online, work on your focus! Get rid of other distractions. This is not the time to do two things at once. If anything, watching online requires even more dedication than if you were sitting in the pew. Here are some tips for watching online:
- Tune In Early. We usually begin the stream a few minutes before 11am. This is your chance to put everything else away and prioritize your worship.
- Make prayer a priority. This is not just TV you're watching or just another video... this is your weekly chance to worship the MOST, HIGH GOD! Begin and end with your private prayers. Share any prayer requests or praises in the comments too!
- Write a comment... or two... or three. This is how we build community together when we cannot physically be together. Let your presence be known! I cannot tell you how encouraging it is to see your comments as you watch. A written "amen" comment is perhaps even more important than one exclaimed from the pew.
- Share the experience. If anything, we have MORE of an opportunity to share church with others than ever before. Now you are not limited to only people you know who live nearby. The Internet is worldwide. If someone speaks English, they can join in and understand!
Here is the YouTube link for this coming Sunday. https://youtu.be/hPM72yeWgXo.
These are the songs we plan to sing: "Might Get Loud" by Elevation Worship; "Open The Eyes Of My Heart Lord" by Micheal W. Smith; "Death Was Arrested" by North Point Worship; "Restless" by Audrey Assad; "Something Good" by Gateway Worship; and "There's Nothing That Our God Can't Do" by Passion. Great selection Brandi! Thank you!
Our sermon Sunday morning is entitled, "Six Steps To Real Rest." We live in a busy world. We live a hurried life. Surprisingly over the past 2 Covid years, our lives have become even more busy and more hurried. More demanding hours. More demanding rules. The life pressures of our new Covid lifestyle are only now being revealed.
Sunday I would like to talk to you about six steps that we can take that will help us recover from the pressures many of us are facing. This is ancient wisdom was given to us by our Lord Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30. For those of you who would like a head start, here are my sermon notes for Sunday morning: http://bible.com/events/48828204.
Well, once again it seems I have been loquacious. (Sounds so much better than long-winded.) If you've gotten this far, thank you! Let me know. Some of you write me back a note or message each week and I so appreciate that! It encourages me to write again the next Friday. I pray you are doing well. Continue to seek Christ in all you do. One way or the other I hope we will be able to "see" one another Sunday at 11am EST.
Love you much! Pastor Mark
