• Do Not Fear – Our God has given us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. Though the numbers are rising, 99.99% of those vaccinated have not had a case resulting in hospitalization or death. Vaccination clinics are still available regularly and we will be hosting one on August 22nd and September 12^th.
• Masking –  Masking has been proven to mitigate the spread of many illnesses including the coronavirus.  We ask you to consider wearing a mask while moving around the building and singing. If our county goes to orange or red on the coronavirus.in.gov website, we will be asking all to wear a mask at all times until numbers decrease for 7 days or we go back to yellow.
• Do not Judge – There are reasons people mask and vaccinate or do not mask or get vaccinated. Chronic Respiratory issues, desire to see people face to face, following recommendations, complications from vaccines, etc. Please listen well to those in our community who may act differently so we may all love alike.

Dear Central, my heart breaks looking at the news from around the world as the coronavirus has again surged forth. The Delta variant has wreaked havoc around the world and has recently arrived in our community.  The latest data show there are some break through cases (infections of those vaccinated) and that some of those infected and vaccinated can still spread the virus to others.  The CDC has again changed its recommendation back to wearing masks to combat this latest surge.  Still, we in Wayne County remain in the blue per Indiana’s Coronavirus website.  We pray this remains to be the case.

 

For now, we are not requiring masks to be on for worship.  We invite you to consider wearing a mask as you feel led.  If you have any symptoms, please take advantage of our livestream on Facebook and rest at home for worship.  If you have not yet been vaccinated, please consider attending one of the upcoming mobile clinics we are hosting on August 22 and September 12. 

 

I also ask respect for each other’s choices in this as we are all in this together.  We will continue to monitor this situation, so what we do this week may change next week. 

 

We are blessed to have people in our church who think differently in these matters and are trying to minister to the broadest spectrum while giving people the dignity of their own responsibility.  I am reminded of Paul’s admonition to the church of Rome, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.“

 

Let us continue in prayer for our world.  This is a hard time on top of over 16 months of a hard season. We are in this together, and by God’s grace, we will get through it.

In Christ,

Joseph

 

 

 

Dear Central,

It’s good to again be seeing so many of you in this liminal season as we leave the ‘normal’ of the pandemic and emerge to what’s next.  It is good to see so few cases in our county.  We received word this week we are no longer required to wear masks for the childcare.  We still support those who are immune compromised, unvaccinated or unable to be vaccinated to wear masks and will offer those at our welcome center.  Central, however, will no longer ask people to wear masks entering or moving about the building. 

Now that we can gather more freely, I hope to see and hear from you all this Sunday.  Much has changed.  This leads to the natural wondering of what is Central’s new normal? who is doing what now? what’s going on anymore? what’s next? etc.  After worship, I would like to offer the microphone to all of you to share, to ask, to wonder aloud as we discern together.  I am so excited for what I see God calling Central to in the coming years, but we must start where our feet are in this murky moment.

Finally, I can think of no better way to center ourselves in this time than to focus anew on Jesus.  Our sermon series throughout July will be focused on Jesus .  I would like to invite you all to join together in continuing this focusing on a daily basis by reading through all four gospels in the month of July.  On Sunday, we will be passing out bookmarks with the reading plan on the back side.  (If you are already in a reading plan, no worries.  Just tuck the bookmark away for when you have completed your current plan.) Discuss these passages in your weekly small group gathering with other Christians (or email me about joining one).  Let the good news wash over you this month as we prepare for what’s next. 

Together we can continue God’s good work, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phi 1:6)

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Joseph

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish I could sit down with each of you every night and hear about the ways in which you saw God that day – or better yet, the adventures God led you on that day when you followed where you were called.  The reality is we have many excuses not to get together to share such good news regularly – not least of which is our health and the concerns therein.  In Matthew 15:29-31, we hear about Jesus,

  

“Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to Him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and He healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.”

 

Scripture again and again reveals the steady revelation of our God who loves, who heals, who saves.  Romans 8 reminds us there is literally nothing which can get in the way of this powerful love.  It’s just hard to always keep this before us in the ever changing winds of the pandemic.

Central has done its best to listen well to our medical and health guidance over the past year while doing everything in our power to make sure we created space for most to gather.  Even this Tuesday we were able to offer space for Vaccines to be offered while feeding our neighbors in the hopes of bringing people together.  Still mask wearing has become a burden for many as the guidance has changed so frequently.  Just a few weeks ago the CDC again dramatically changed its recommendation (any who are vaccinated do not need to wear masks) and many of us feel the whiplash, so how will Central respond.  

Central will continue to ask people to wear masks as we move about the building and will offer these at the welcome desk.  We still have a childcare in which state guidelines require mask wearing.  Our staff cannot remove their masks in such areas, so this is a chance to stand in solidarity. Once arrived at your gathering or are standing having coffee, feel free to take off your mask if you are vaccinated.  You will only need your mask for singing, which we will be resuming this coming Sunday.  I look forward to hearing the joyful noise rising up once more.  Further, this coming Sunday, we are resuming taking communion in the Sanctuary.  We will still offer communion in bags for those who wish not to take off their masks in the gathering area.  For those who do, we will have trash cans at the side of the altar rails for disposal.

We realize some do not wish to wear a mask ever again and some still feel all should wear a mask at all times in public.  Please, my brothers and sisters of Central, love the person in front of you whatever choice she or he might make in regards to masks.  There is space for good conversation here, but let us remember why we all gather in the first place.  We gather because of Jesus.  Long before any pandemic, it was Jesus who healed our souls.

Let us remember this as we go out from Central every week.  No matter the choices of our co-workers, our neighbors – let us love people where they are. Let us introduce them to Jesus and His love which flows through us.  For there is nothing, no sickness, no pandemic, too great to keep us from the healing love of Jesus.  May we move about in Richmond in such ways that the crowds once again be amazed as the good news of the lame walking, blind seeing, and mute speaking grows in this love.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Joseph

God is good, all the time. And all the time God is good. God is great when we get that job we wanted. God is great when we get a good grade on a test. God is great when everything is going our way, but what about when things don’t go our way? Is God still good when you’re depressed? Is God still good when you’re going through a divorce? Is God still good when you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom? Let’s go back to the saying, God is good, all the time. You don’t get through depression alone. You don’t get through a divorce alone. You don’t get through life alone. You get through all of these things because of God. It was the holy spirit inside of you telling you to keep on going even when you felt like giving up. So God is good, even when you’ve hit rock bottom, and even when you’re on fire for God.                                  (by Cayden Lindahl)

Spring grows changes of color and life right before our very eyes.  Grassy knolls are shaded overhead while the flora and fauna emerge from the undergrowth of the dense forests.  Such joy in new discovery.  Such loss of a winter wonderland.

 

Not all changes behold us all this season.  We in the United States feel as though the pandemic is now over though it is reaching its deadliest point around the globe.  Soon our high schoolers will be moving onto their next steps – often far away from home.  The list goes on.

 

Sometimes, we tell ourselves from contrived perspective on the happenings and assume ‘this is how it always has been’ or ‘this is how it will always be.’ Such absolute sentiments are fools errands.  That is until we get to eternal unchanging things of God, His character, our sinfulness, His love, etc.  Coming before our Maker naturally then changes the approacher in the manner of the eternal (this is Prayer of course and deserves a further thought at another time).

 

The Bible talks much about change.  One of the most significant times of change comes in the book of Joshua:

 

Wherever we go. 

 

The Lord your God will be with you.

 

 Friends, our God still calls us forward into the inheritance of the Kingdom.  We are entering a time of transition here at Central as we emerge from the pandemic and prepare send offs to several staff.  We can and will celebrate as we grieve.  For the Kingdom in the new covenant of Jesus’ blood is not one confined to 1425 E Main St.  It spreads around the globe.  We are sending our brothers and sisters out to serve in new places and new ways while making space for new people to gather amongst us.

 

Yes, it will not be as it was before.  Everything is changing.  Be strong and Courageous.

 

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Joseph