Greetings Holy, Healthy and Happy People of God,

As I write this eNote to our faithful and devoted community of radical and contextually conscious followers of Jesus Christ, I am thankful for our congregation’s trust in the LORD to guide our behavior.

Over the last one week, we have experienced one of the most horrific incidents in United States history.  At last count 59 innocent people dead and over 200 injured.  We don’t know the motive, but we do know that our compassion to respond is grounded in our understanding of freedom.  Scripture reminds us constantly that we have abundant life and a faithful freedom that comes with it.  Although evil exists, God’s love sets us free from the entanglement of this world.  We are free emotionally, spiritually, and practically.  Paul writes, “Therefore my brothers and sisters, you also died with respect to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you could be united with someone else.  You are united with the one who was raised from the dead so that we can bear fruit for God.”  Romans 7:4 CEB.  So when tragedy happens, our lives reflect a different narrative, one that allows freedom to be seen and embraced even in the tears.

Even in the midst of tragedy, we can witness to the reality of God’s presence with us.  So we pray for and grieve with the families, but we also remain faithful to the reality that our God wasn’t surprised like we were.  We celebrate that God has reunited with those God loves.

Hear the W.O.W., the Words of Wisdom,
“God is never surprised!”

Remember to pray The Lord’s Prayer every day at 12 Noon!

As always, remember, God’s will for us is good, we must do the rest!
Pastor Stephen