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Memorial Lutheran Church

Happenings - Special Edition

March 27, 2020

Streaming Worship for the Next Two Sundays

While we are suspending services hopefully for just a few weeks, we encourage our congregation to worship together online. We are preparing virtual services that can be streamed directly from our website at memoriallutherantn.org.  I hope you will choose to stream them at 10:00 on Sunday mornings so that we can at least be worshiping in Spirit together at the same time in our homes.

Please note that these will not be "live" services per se, so you can stream them at any time once they are posted. So if you can't join us at 10:00 a.m I hope you will avail yourself of that online worship resource when you can.  We will upload them to our website on Saturday nights.

We will be continuing our Lenten study of "How Lutherans Interpet the Bible."  We have received special approval from the owner of that series to include Dr. Mark Allen Powell's teaching in our virtual worship services the next few weeks.  

We are excited that our online services are a shared experience with our sister congregation, Zion Lutheran Church in Franklin, KY.  Pastor Joel remains their Interim Pastor and it is exciting to work together to maintain our worship life.

It is important to note that we hope all this is temporary and, best case scenario, we hope to resume public worship on Palm Sunday as we begin our Holy Week Journey together.  However, as was discussed in an online Council meeting last night, it was acknowledged that this hope is probably not realistic.  Look to the ENews next week for more information about online services moving forward if needed.

Cancellation of Synod Assembly and Bishop Letter

Please take a moment and read this recent letter from Bishop Kevin Strickland to our Synod.  He discusses the difficult decision of cancelling Synod Assembly as well as his own encouragement that churches continue to meet online at least through April.  We are fortunate to have his leadership and his calming presence during this time.

Coronavirus Information and Support

I want to stress a few points as we all seek to navigate these chaotic waters together.

1)  I am available to anyone who wants/needs direct pastoral care during this time.  You can call (615) 262-0224 or email me at joel.emerson@memoriallutherantn.org.  Please don't hesitate to reach out to me.  Sometimes when we are working through the unknowns of this life, it is helpful just to talk and pray together.

2)  Speaking of...please stay in touch with each other in the coming weeks.  Being supportive of each other is so important and we are the body of Christ, not just individuals with a common faith in Jesus.  

3)  There is a lot of misinformation circulating out there.  Please be sure that you are getting and sharing the most recent information directly from the most knowledgeable sources.  You can always get reliable and current information from the CDC.

4)  Please take the instructions on social distancing seriously and practice them as best you can.  This is particular challenging for those of us involved in a religious community as that is one of the most social things out there.  But from every reliable and informed medical source I can find, our ability to practice social distancing in the coming weeks may well be the difference in this outbreak having catastrophic impacts on people's lives.,

5)  Pray throughout each day that God will give us strength and courage during these coming months.

6)  Do the things in your life at home that bring you peace and joy...listen to your favorite music, play games with your loved ones, meditate, read your favorite author...whatever helps you to find peace and joy in your life.

Well, that is preachy enough don't you think!  I love you all and am praying for you daily.

Pastor Joel

Memorial Lutheran Church

1211 Riverside Drive

(615) 262-0224

www.memoriallutherantn.org

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