Psalm 91:1-2

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

 

Good Morning Church,

I hope I find you living in the midst of the storm with peace in your heart. I have thought many times about the hymn it is well with my soul. During this Pandemic it is what I keep coming back to. As I check in with people and they with me, asking the age old question from John Wesley, how is it with your soul? I can answer a lot of different ways depending on the moment, hour, or day. But, deep down in the midst of it all, I know that it is well with my soul. Christ has offered peace in the midst of trying times. God has offered unconditional love in the midst of the storm. Our Savior has promised to always be with us no matter what comes our way. Jesus says, “I will be with you always even to the end of the age.” So, as we walk through another month of things not being as they once were, we look for the Lord in each situation and relationship and all around us. Have you noticed God? I certainly have!

On Monday, April 27th, the Governor of Iowa lifted the closure of churches, stating that if taking the proper precautions, we could re-open, and begin to do life more like normal within the worship setting. However, the Bishop followed that up with a letter strongly encouraging all churches to remain with online worship settings through the month of May. Therefore, we will follow the guidance of the Bishop, and remain with online worship through the month of May, and then we will re-evaluate. We will be reviewing different stepped approaches to re-opening in the coming weeks, so that when the time comes to open the doors, we are prepared.

We are all in this together, a global pandemic, it draws people together. And yet, we are all experiencing it in different ways depending on our health, our age, our work situations, our family situations, etc. Know that you are being prayed for, that you are being cared for, and that the love of God is yours for the taking. Please let me know if there is anything we can be doing for you.

The Hymn, “It is well”, rolls through my mind, specifically this line: “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, “It is well, it is well with my soul.” Is it well with your soul?

I’ll be seeing you online!

Blessings, Pastor Joy Mitchell