April 1, 2020 Greetings and Blessings to All, We are all praying, that by adhering to CDC Guidelines and our own State of Ohio “stay at home” instructions, we can help stop the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. The guidelines have now been extended until the end of April, 2020. Pastor Bob Butcher has been serving as our Guest Minister since Pastor Borows January 15th retirement. Pastor Butcher has been such a blessing during these most stressful times. We are keeping our Website: resurrectiononcatawba.com updated with prayer suggestions, Scripture readings and Psalm readings. With Holy Week beginning on April 5th, Pastor Butcher has provided our little church with information to help you worship on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. This information will be put on our website and FaceBook pages. We are aware that not everyone has a computer, so I am sending printed copies to all of you, who used to get Pastor Borows sermons. During these stressful times, it is so important to stay in touch with God. Even though we cannot be together at our little church building, we need to remember that WE, OURSELVES, ARE THE CHURCH. Please share God’s Word whenever and wherever you can. Be kind to each other, help a neighbor, call your friends. Stay in contact with each other. Make a phone call, send a letter or a note. I just saw a post on FaceBook that brought this whole thing into perspective “Faith does not mean trusting God to stop the storm, but trusting Him to strengthen us as we walk through the storm.” AMEN Blessings, Linda Holcomb Secretary/Treasurer Resurrection Lutheran Church

READ EZEKIEL 37:1 *Psalm 130 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. Ezekiel 37:5

MATTHEW 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The take-away: The journey we are going through may be long and hard, but we will find rest in God’s loving arms. JOSHUA 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” The take-away: With God’s love behind us, there is no need to be frightened in the face of stress or fear. PROVERBS 12:25 “Anxiety wears down the human heart, but a good word cheers it up.” The take-away: By reading God’s word and praying to God, we can lighten the stress weighing down our hearts and minds. 2 THESSALONIANS 3:16 “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” The take-away: We are never without the Lord or the Holy Spirit, who brings us peace each and every day. Even at our most difficult of times, God is watching over us. JOHN 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” The take-away: Only God can provide us true peace of mind, so it’s important for us to put all of our faith in God and trust in God at all times. PSALM 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; they rod and thy staff they comfort me.” The take-away: Even in the darkest of times, God will lead us to comfort and the light, with God’s grace and guidance. ISAIAH 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. The take-away: The Bible tells us again and again that God will strengthen us, guide us, and help us with God’s love and Grace. As we have said before, we are not worshipping in the building, but we are the church in the world. Our God does not want destruction from this virus and he grieves with us. God is with us always. Rest in God’s presence and God’s love. Thank you and Blessings! You are doing a great job. LKH

"THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE"

 

Text - JOHN 11:1--44

GRACE BE UNTO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER AND FROM OUR RESURRECTION AND OUR LIFE - OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS THE CHRIST.

On the day our text took place, Jesus spoke the most powerful and comforting words ever heard by human ears – “I am The Resurrection and The Life”.  And the way He said those powerful words and the situation in which He said them enabled people to understand Who Jesus is– as never before.

The month before Jesus spoke those words, He and His disciples were in Jerusalem where the opposition toward Jesus was growing steadily more violent. Each day, they crossed the Kidron Valley and entered the Temple where His opponents were at their strongest. 

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Branches In the Lord’s Vineyard

Text – JOHN 15:1--11  

GRACE BE UNTO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER AND FROM OUR CRUCIFIED AND RISEN LORD AND SAVIOUR - JESUS THE CHRIST.

Living in a land with no rainy season and only a brief month when any rain falls at all, the people prayed for and then thanked God for the morning dew which often provided the only real source of moisture for their grape plants growing along the otherwise bone-dry ground. It took great care to produce this cherished crop – but it was worth it. No plant was more cherished in Judea than the grape – because every other part of the plant could be used in so many essential ways.

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WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE

Text -- JOHN 9:1--41

GRACE BE UNTO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER AND FROM OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR … JESUS THE CHRIST.

 

"Just as I am, without one plea,

but that Thy Blood was shed for me,

and that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”

Last Sunday, that beloved hymn sprung to life as we saw Jesus bring living water and new temporal and eternal life to a woman scorned by every member of her society – and we remembered how we ourselves received that living water of Holy Baptism

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