A Note From Pastor Brad
Dear Church,
Well, that certainly wasn’t how I intended yesterday to go! I am sorry we weren’t able to gather as a church yesterday. I can’t tell you how much I missed singing and worshiping with you all. It didn’t feel right not going to church, but I know that, perhaps, it was for the best considering how icy the roads were yesterday. I pray you are well this morning, though, and that your week is off to a good start. Lord willing, we will gather on Sunday for worship at 10 o’clock.
“Lord willing” is a good qualifier these days. I remarked to Natalie yesterday that it seems as though inclement weather is always forecasted for Sundays. (I looked at the upcoming 10-day forecast, and guess when it’s supposed to snow again? Sunday!) It’s never ideal when our plans are messed up and interrupted. But there are blessings to be had when plans change.
You know, whenever I see snow, I am reminded of two things. First, the incredible fact that God has washed away all our sins as white as snow with the blood of his Son. That’s what the prophet Isaiah says: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:18).
The second thing I think of, though, is that snow (and ice) is one of the surest signs of God’s gracious disruption of our lives. I say “gracious” because it falls softly and quietly, yet it has an enormous impact on our lives. We aren’t as productive on snow days. We aren’t as efficient either. But maybe that’s the point.
“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” the old saying goes. Snow days and roads filled with ice are certainly evidence of that. And perhaps that’s just the time God would have us recognize anew that we are not in control of our lives.
The God who cleanses us from sin carries the world, and everything else, in its courses. His sovereign control over our lives is no better seen than when our schedules are altered by the snow (and ice) he allows to accumulate. We may be delayed but God is never stopped. Our plans may change but his never do.
So, Lord willing, we will gather as a church this coming Sunday, Jan. 16. And the worship and fellowship will be rich and sweet not only because we’ll see each other but because we’ll remember that Christ Jesus is enthroned in the heavens. That’s where he is. And that’s where he’ll always be.
Blessings 🙏
Pastor Brad