We had a trial run of what our first worship back together might look like. A few members joined us on Sunday afternoon for a short communion service, and it was a greatly needed dose of “normal” in our crazy times. As a pastor- leading people in worship vs. recording worship was much more enriching for me. To commune with fellow saints of Crown of Life was like a long awaited feast we finally celebrated. 

But even that normal was different. The caution needed just to be able to meet was hard to ignore. The new challenges that come with a phased reopening are like taking a step into a fast moving stream- the footing seems so unsure. You’re not quite sure where you end up and how you need to adjust. Each action had to be thought out and thought through. It would be much more assuring if we had a clearly laid out path to follow with no slippery stones, or hidden hazards…

Dry up the stream

God didn’t take his people into the promised land by leading them around the Jordan river (he certainly could have). He took them through. The last leg to get them to where he promised they would be. They didn’t go stumbling in either.  

Joshua 3:14–17 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea ) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

A clear path through an impossibly navigable river. That’s what God does. Here’s the impossibly clear path that God has given us. In these last few months as his church was stationary behind our own doors he didn’t stop feeding us. With every uncertainty in day to day life and operation he kept bringing his sure and certain Word to us to give us a clear and sure footing. Our path to the promised land comes through his Son who stopped the flood of sin and death from sweeping us away. He didn’t leave us guessing either. 

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The promised land

No, the promised land isn’t worshiping again at Crown of Life. That would be underselling the true promised land of heaven. But as we do gather again, we can have a renewed sense of energy to journey along the sure path of life, even when our day to day is not as certain.

I look forward to worshiping with you, in person and online! 

God’s Peace

Pastor Kehl