Hello Gloria Dei,
I remember it vividly. I was at a pastors’ meeting at a local church on that Tuesday morning in September of 2001. We watched in horror as the events of that tragedy unfolded. For those old enough, I’m sure you remember where you were and who you were with on 9/11.
2977 lives were lost. Tens of thousands more were directly affected and filled with grief as loved ones lost their lives. And the ripple effect was felt around the world. We all felt grief. The world was changed.
Be sure to spend time today in prayer, asking God to continue to be present with those whose loved ones died. And ask God to be with our country and the entire world, to fill it with people who seek and work for peace rather than conflict.
This weekend we begin a seven-week preaching series on the Gospel of Matthew. We’ll begin with the birth narrative. You can read it in Matthew 1:18-25. It tells the Good News of God entering this world, so desperately in need of a Savior, in the person of God’s Son, Jesus.
The Good News of Christ never gets old. It is always relevant. The world in the 21st Century is as much in need of a Savior as was the world in the 1st Century. The Good News is that God has come among us, and remains among us, with words of comfort, hope, and new life. In Jesus, the Savior has arrived.
Please join us this weekend as the Gloria Dei Church School and Program Year kicks-off. Church School classes begin on Sunday. We’ll have food and coffee trucks, bouncy houses, and inspiring worship. I’m looking forward to all of us being together this weekend and throughout the year.
Pastor Tim
