Please Note:  Building is Temporarily Closed   

 It's Been LongEnough + July 29, 2020

 Psalm 13 

Long enough, God — you’ve ignored me long enough.
I’ve looked at the back of your head long enough.

Long enough I’ve carried this ton of trouble, lived with a stomach full of pain.
Long enough my arrogant enemies have looked down their noses at me.

Take a good look at me, God, my God;
I want to look life in the eye, so no enemy can get the best of me or laugh when I fall on my face.

I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms — I’m celebrating your rescue.
I’m singing at the top of my lungs, I’m so full of answered prayers.

 Does this author sound aggressive towards God at first? Or is the author deeply aware of God promises? Perhaps the author is saying, “God, please do what you said you would do!” How bold! How forward! How un-Lutheran! But completely Christian, I believe.

 In all honesty, I feel ignored by God as of late. This pandemic is getting to me some days, making me feel uncertain and angry about our present situation. The future looks muddy, at best, and often fear just makes me freeze – emotionally and spiritually – as I ponder it.

 But I also believe that when I feel ignored by God, or that God is nowhere to be found, I’m wrong. I’m not being malicious or un-Christian, I’m being human. And I’m afraid, overwhelmed, and suffering. Most of all, I’m afraid. I’m certain that everyone has been afraid a few times since our lockdown started in late March. So as we discern what church, work, school, and everyday life will soon look like, I suggest we own our fear and then act. Call someone. A friend, a family member, your doctor, or even (gasp!) a professional counselor. Seek community, seek connection. That’s where God will be. That’s where God will calm our fears, be present, and engage us. Yes, reaching out is difficult, and more so during challenging times, but please do so. I believe the result is that we’ll be full of answered prayers.

 Please take comfort in knowing that our Church Council is meeting every two weeks to plan our next steps. We are seeking guidance from our synod office, the Wisconsin Council of Churches, the Dunn County Health Department, and other reliable sources. Each time we meet, there is new information to discern and discuss. We feel like we’re aiming at a moving target! We understand the importance of meeting together for worship and other activities, and the importance of being wise as we make our decisions. We are committed our church family’s spiritual, emotional, and safety needs.

Pray for your church leaders, please. Pray for our church family, our town, our country, our world. Ask God to displace all fear with hope and Christ-like action. Life is change, and growth is optional, so may we all choose wisely.

 Striving to embracing faith, not fear, 

Pastor Bob