“And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”
Exodus 15:26
Greetings to each of you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. By the grace of God, we are still alive; therefore, we must praise the Lord continuously. Be mindful that the safety of each of us is very important to me. I understand and empathize with those of you who are uncomfortable with corporate worship amid this pandemic. Just remember that the Lord is a jealous God, and He may be displeased with people who are in other public settings (restaurants, stores, malls, concerts, casinos, gymnasiums, airplanes, arenas, ball games, etc.) but choose not to worship Him publicly.
On the other hand, I encourage everyone to be as safe as possible. To those of us who are unable or uncomfortable worshipping in person, our 11:00 a.m. Worship Celebrations are live-streamed(YouTube and Facebook), and a podcast is available each Sunday at 2 p.m. or thereafter via our website (sjmbc.org).
To those of us who want to worship corporately, we have two Worship Celebrations each Sunday: 9 a.m. at the North Campus and 11 a.m. at the South Campus. Each Worship Celebration is Spirit-filled and about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and we encourage everyone to arrive at least 10 minutes beforehand to be seated safely and comfortably. Temperatures are checked, hand sanitizing is urged, social distancing is applied regarding where people shall sit and walk, wearing masks is now mandatory (Contra Costa County requires people to wear masks for indoor gatherings), utilization of restrooms is restricted to 2-4 people at a time (depending on the size of the restroom), and congregating before and after Services is prohibited.
Moreover, I encourage everyone to participate in our Church School which convenes Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. The teachers and curriculum are the same as they have been, and the teachers are doing a great job weekly preparing and presenting their lessons. I appeal to everyone (members and non-members of St. John) to log on to our online Church School via our website (sjmbc.org). You will be blessed as a result, and you can choose the class that you desire to attend.
Furthermore, August is Pastor Edification month. In each Worship Celebration throughout this month, a parishioner will encourage the pastor with a one-minute edification. To be safe, we will not have the traditional afternoon Appreciation Celebration in which a guest pastor and congregation are invited; however, everyone can give a special love offering to the pastor (in person, mail, or online). If you appreciate the 27 years (especially these last 18 months) that the pastor has served St. John, demonstrate it at some point this month.
Last but not least, praise God for each of us who have been supporting St. John financially. We currently give in person during Sunday Morning Worship Celebrations, by mailing or dropping off our Tithes and Offerings at our Administration Building or South Campus, or by giving online through our website (sjmbc.org). If you are financially able but not supporting St. John financially, allow God to bless you with more by giving today your Tithes and Offerings.
May God bless and sustain each of us.
Your Servant In Christ,
Dr. Kevin B. Hall, Pastor