April 17, 2020
Dear Cathedral Family,
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
Psalm 46:1 (NLT)
During our staff Zoom meeting this week, I asked our team to pause and consider these questions: Deep down, how are you in this season? How are the people you’re in contact with doing?
After an extended period of silence, we ended up with some really honest sharing. Some folks are doing great, loving extra time with family and a slower pace. Some are tapping into new levels of creativity. Others are feeling high levels of stress, struggling with online schooling at home, missing milestone celebrations, dealing with reduced income and job layoffs, and grieving the loss of loved ones without the normal surroundings of family and friends.
That’s exactly why we decided to start a new series this Sunday entitled The Struggle is Real! Can I get an AMEN?!?
I think if we’re all honest, we’d say that there are times that we’re just not feeling okay. Can I speak a little truth to you? It’s OK to not feel OK. It’s OK to be having “Not OK” feelings like feeling concerned, uncertain, frustrated, lonely, purposeless, out of control, or just feeling “off” (like you’re not on your “A” game). The secret, however, is in taking action and not staying and getting stuck in those “Not OK” feelings.
These are the times I’m especially grateful for the gift of the Bible and all the stories of men and women just like us, who struggled with similar feelings, and discovered strength and help in God. Think about Abraham, the father of our faith, Joseph, David, Esther, Daniel, Mary, the Apostle Paul and so many others.
This Sunday, I’ll be talking about how to breathe out those “Not OK” feelings and inhale the “OK”ness we find in God’s presence and His promises. He is our Good Shepherd (Psalm 23), the One who faithfully leads us through dark valleys and into better places. So let’s follow Him!
Now add to that worshipping together and taking communion and I’m confident that we’re going to have a great time as a church family this Sunday morning. So be thinking about what you and your family can use for the elements, for juice and bread. Feel free to get creative and simply use what you already have on hand. My prayer is that our time together equips you to better encounter God’s presence in your home during the week.
Thank you for continuing to be the church. Your faithfulness in giving your tithes (and for some who are able to give a special gift above your tithes) is so important, particularly during this season, because it enables us to sustain our church budget and continue serving our community in practical and creative ways, especially through the Lowcountry Hope Center. If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out to us! We are here to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
We Will Get Through This Together!
Mike Lewis
Cathedral