An Update + Sunday Links | December 13, 2020
An update:
We’ve had two more households test positive for COVID in the last 48 hours, with other symptomatic households now awaiting results. Please be praying for all who are ill, as well as those around them. It’s hit some folks harder than others. The elders felt confident in our decision to not gather in-person two days ago, and given what we're seeing, we feel all the more convinced that it’s the right move for us temporarily.
On a spiritual note, this year has provided a plethora of opportunities to believe the worst about others, assume sinful motives, and draw lines in the sand between true brothers and sisters in Christ. And yet the Spirit has born much fruit throughout The Village! We - all of us together - have labored hard all year to bring the bible itself to bear on justice, reframe politics under discipleship, and place one another’s interests before our own in being gathered and scattered as a community during a pandemic. You all have been an example to this city and surrounding areas of what it looks like to be formed by Jesus’ gospel and sent on Jesus’ mission - and that's not easy.
Let’s finish this year well. Our God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty (Exodus 34:6-7). That same God lives in us. So he can certainly keep his steadfast love in us, not for thousands and thousands of people, but even just with the handful of those we might not see eye-to-eye with on momentary matters in our little local church. Keep giving one another the benefit of the doubt, being quick to seek understanding before making assumptions, and remembering (and rejoicing in!) the much-needed mercy and grace of God in our own lives for the guilt he has cleared us of in Christ.
We get to be Christmas people, celebrating that Jesus has already come into the world, anticipating his future return more than anything else, and living in this present craziness with Spirit-born patience, counting God’s own patience with the world - and with us! - as a way he's working for salvation. (2 Peter 3:15)
Here are the details for tomorrow:
Like The Village, The Point’s Sunday gatherings kick off at 10:30am. Their stream will also begin around 10:15am like ours, as well! You can tune in directly via their Facebook Page or YouTube. However, we’ve also embedded their stream on our website, just like we do every week with our own.
Here are the links for tomorrow’s continuation of our Royal Psalms series and the beginning of K-Ville’s two-part Christmas series on our website: