Dear Truro Family,
Here we are – three weeks into the New Year – and for many of you, they’ve been a pretty hard three weeks!
Just when the pandemic had seemed to subside, it came roaring back, and has affected so many people in our church, our families, our schools, and our workplaces. Then, in addition to dealing with the pandemic and its effects on their kids, parents have been thrown additional curve-balls (or “snow balls”?) with school cancellations. And as if that wasn’t enough, the pandemic AND the weather have resulted in bare shelves at grocery stores. And to top it all off, to everyone’s shock, the Washington Football Team won’t be in the Super Bowl this year!
This has been, and continues to be, a difficult time for many of you, in all sorts of ways. So I wanted to use this clergy note to remind us all of some unchanging truths of God from Psalm 121, upon which we can all find solid ground during shaky times.
God is our helper. The very same God who created all things – visible and invisible – is so involved in our lives, our world, and in church, that he lovingly helps us, and gives us what we need.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2)
God never sleeps. He never takes his eye off the ball. He never gets tired. He is always holding us in the palm of his hand, and he is always God.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:3-4)
God protects us. We are not alone, we are not defenseless, and things are not out of control. Even though we often may not understand his ways, we can always trust in his character.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. (Psalm 121:5-6)
God is right beside us. No matter where you go: into a hospital room or a lecture hall. Into another day of quarantine, or another day of folding laundry and doing dishes and getting your kids out the door on time. Our God is always with us, and is always blessing us.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 121:7-8)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen!
Your brother,
Jamie