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WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE ATTENDING ON-SITE
In accordance with Governor Hochul’s recent executive order we respectfully ask everyone to wear a mask while inside the building. We thank you for your cooperation and look forward to Febtuary 1st when the Governor's order is set to expire.
Message from Our Pastor
Update from Pastor Wes |
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01.04.2022
My Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Looking back on 2021 I have to say that there wasn’t much about the year that I would have seen coming. The number and complexities of the challenges that came with the pandemic while attempting to navigate the host of opinions associated with the same proved daunting at times. For the most part, people were gracious to one another and lived out the axiom of “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” However, there were times when I feared that strongly held opinions, and wounding words would threaten our unity and impede our ability to continue to reach beyond the walls.
To add to the challenges of the year we also had staffing changes. We bade farewell to the Schuberts and Hoffsmiths. Now, it’s hard for any church to make its way through a staffing change, especially when the change impacts something as seminal as the music ministry, but it is more difficult when there are multiple transitions. These changes necessitated a reformation of the music ministry at Grace Church. This demanded a great deal of flexibility, creativity and energy on the part of all those serving on the Music Team. It also meant that more of my time and attention would need to be given to those ministries that had worked closely with Kent.
As I said before, there is little that came with 2021 that I could've imagined last January 1st, and I’m glad that I didn’t. Given all the challenges and demands of this past year, had I been able to guess what would come our way, I would’ve found myself quaking in my boots and wanting to sprint in the other direction.
It puts me in mind of the time when the people of Israel, having recently been freed from Egyptian slavery, were camped at Pi-Hihiroth along the shores of the Red Sea and could undoubtedly see the Egyptian army coming to carry them back into slavery. They were terrified by what they saw coming… and I would have been afraid had I seen 2021 coming as it did!
But here’s the thing…God has been faithful throughout the previous year. He has walked with us as we made our way through a once in a generation pandemic. He saw us through every challenge and every ill-spoken word. He has seen us through the tempests that come when our pride and opinions cause us to be at odds with one another. Along the way He’s also given us the strength that we needed and the Spirit’s leading to respond so that we could continue to meet the challenges and carry out our mission to take Grace Beyond the Walls by going and making disciples.
As we look into 2022, we don’t need to be prescient, we need to be still and trust in the one who knows it all. We don’t need to be afraid. We need to stand firm. Our strength need not be drawn from that which we bring to the table ‘cause that well is extremely shallow. The strength we need is that of the unending, indefatigable God, the maker of heaven and earth, the Lord who stood by his newly freed people and declared through his prophet Moses, “Do not be afraid, stand firm and you will see the deliverance of the Lord will bring you today…The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Ex. 14:13-14)
So, that’s what we will do. We will be still in the face of 2022, and we will set our faces toward the Lord regardless of what comes our way, and we will see God’s deliverance and we will have a song of praise to sing to generations to come. Amen.
Bring on 2022!
In Christ,
Wes Smith
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