Pastoral Letter: March 24 2020

Dear Friends,

We have never lived through anything like this before. These days are strange, disorienting and filled with fear. We do not know what to do, we do not know how to help those in need, we do not know if anything that we are doing is helping. That pretty much sums up what we do not know.

What do we know? We know that we have each other, a church body that cares for us and misses us. We know that Jesus, the true Son of God, is a light that shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overwhelm us. We know that our God has promised to walk with us through the valley of dark shadows, so we fear no evil. We know that Jesus was raised from the dead, so we have the hope of life eternal.

In times like these, we need to be diligent to remind each other of these truths and encourage each other with these promises. I urge you to start everyday with time in the Bible reminding yourself of the Fatherhood of God and his tender care. And I urge you not to let a day go by when you do not remind someone else of God’s promise to never leave or forsake us. As we remind each other, these truths get deeper and deeper into our hearts. 

In an effort to encourage you, I am starting a couple of things. On Wednesdays I will host an online devotional during the lunch hour. At 12:15 p.m. you can find me on Facebook live or on the new RiverOaks Youtube Channel. I will also be hosting a “stump the pastor” Q & A session on Sunday nights at 5 p.m. on both those sites. You can ask questions about the sermon that day or anything else you are curious about.

I hope these opportunities help us stay engaged and connected as we wait on God to deliver us from this present trial. I look forward so much to worshiping with you again. Until then, let us run the race before us with diligence and hope.

Grace and peace,

Ricky