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Monday, July 6, 2020 - Join Pastor John for a Devotional

July 6, 2020 by Rev. John Hartman

“No Fear”

It was great to worship with everyone yesterday on July 5. Once again, God blessed us with wonderful weather as we were able to hold our 8:00 am service outside. A special thanks to Jillian Pontz and Olivia Musser for leading our music songs, and to Rick Rineer for his patriotic medley on the accordion. A special thanks Kim Roberts, Janet Braightmeyer, our deacons, our ushers, our trifecta of sound people (Mike Henry, Ben Pontz, and Kurt Wagner), and all those who continue to offer their gifts, talents, and service throughout the whole morning at 8:00 and 10:00 am.

Back on March 17, I shared some thoughts with you on the Covid-19, and informed you that I would be offering a daily devotional with you to keep you connected to God’s word even as we would be worshipping remotely. Now that we are able to worship in person again, and with the summer months upon us, I am going to scale back sending out my devotions to you. Moving forward in the next couple of months, I will we sending out a devotional on Monday, Friday, and a video devotional on Saturday. I hope and pray that this will continue to be food for your soul.

As I said, I began this back on March 17, so I want to share with you once again the devotion I delivered that day which was on Psalm 23, as seems just as pertinent today as it did over 3 and half months ago. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff — they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)

“This beautiful Psalm of David is for all occasions, weddings, funerals, daily devotionals, and everyday life. For obvious reasons, it seems especially poignant in the midst of the Coronavirus. Psalm 23 is kind of like a psalm behind a glass case, mounted on the wall which says, -- “Break Glass in Case of Emergency.” We may not always use it, but it is always there for us, especially when we really need it.

Let’s face it, these are dark valleys in which we are journeying, and when it’s dark, it’s scary, because our footing feels unsure, we can’t see clearly the potholes, the twists and turns, where the road ends, and the next steps to take aren’t obvious to the eye. It can leave us disoriented, confused, scared, and maybe even angry. Information is changing not just daily, but hourly, and it can create a feeling of being overwhelmed, and nervous about what is going to happen next.

Through it all, God shepherds us, and as the Good Shepherd, He lovingly nudges us on the right path, and in the right direction, while at the same time warding off evils, dangers, and discouraging thoughts and feelings. We are still going to be the Church! We are not folding our tents! We are still going to do church stuff! It is not always going to be pretty. It certainly will be far from perfect. It is God’s grace and God’s power that will get us through this.”

On that St. Patrick’s Day, I closed with a prayer of his. Today, I am closing with a prayer from St. Augustine.

Look upon us, O Lord,

and let all the darkness of our souls

vanish before the beams of thy brightness.

Fill us with holy love,

and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom.

All our desire is known unto thee,

therefore perfect what thou hast begun,

and what thy Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer.

We seek thy face,

turn thy face unto us and show us thy glory.

Then shall our longing be satisfied,