Pastor Lou

CHURCH NEWSLETTER DISTRIBUTION CHANGES

 7How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." -- Isaiah 52:7

This passage calls our attention to the importance of messengers who proclaim peace, salvation, and the reign of God.  These messengers are blessed because the message they carry is blessed.

One subject that I studied this summer was how messages were carried in the Old West. There were clipper ships, mule trains, and military means. My son and I also traced the road that the Pony Express travelled, where the Overland Stagecoach rode, and the first transcontinental telegraph lines ran. Communications were made even by ski across the Sierra Nevada.

In the Bible times, there were several ways that a message was given. There were letters and such. But often it was by a personal messenger. God also used various means. In fact, the word “angel” means messenger. Angels, like Gabriel announcing to Mary that she would bear Jesus, were messengers from God. More often than not, God used people like the prophet Isaiah in the passage above. John the Baptizer was a messenger from God announcing the coming of the Savior and that we should prepare. But more special that all these, the Word of God – God’s Message – was made a human being in the person of Jesus. As we are human, the Message of God is in human form.

We also are called to be personal messengers of God in what we say and do. We are bearers of God’s message which is the Gospel, the Good News. Often, we are the only messenger that others will know of the grace, peace, forgiveness and reconciliation of God.

Yet, we do use other means at our disposal like the written messages about God in the Bible. As a preacher, I strive with God’s help to proclaim God’s Word, both Law and Gospel. Our Bible classes are means to communicate God’s message. As a congregation of believers what we say and do in our community speaks about our God. In our day and age, we also are using other means to communicate as well: e-mail, our website, Facebook, YouTube, and of course our newsletter.

NEWSLETTER DISTRIBUTION CHANGES starting in February.

Regarding the newsletter, there are some changes this year. Due to cost and effort, it would be better for us to send out the newsletter by first class mail. So, what does this mean for you?

· Check your church mailbox before the first of the month. The newsletter should be there.  Picking up the newsletter will save on our church expenses of mailing them out.

· But if you don’t check the church mailbox, no worries. We will still send out the newsletter to you through first class mail. We realize that there are shut-ins, and people away on a given Sunday for several reasons. We want everyone to receive a newsletter.

· If you don’t receive a newsletter, please contact the church office. We do not want you to be left out! We will get you a newsletter.

We will see how it goes. Newsletters are but one means to get the word out. God’s message is better given personally. And it is best given in the person of Jesus Christ our Savior.

Your messenger in Christ,

Pastor Lou