Here’s Hope: “Lord, I give my life a living sacrifice to reach a world in need, to be your hands and feet. So may the words I say and the things I do, make my lifesong sing, bring a smile to you.” Song: “Lifesong” by Casting Crowns
Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:18-27 “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” Please read the entire passage.
Consider This: Do you remember that little rhyme you learned in Sunday School, “Here is the church and here is the steeple, open the door and here are the people.” Well, since covid-19, we can’t apply that rhyme literally can we? The truth we need to remember is that we, followers of Christ, are the church. The building or meeting house is the place we gather, in normal circumstances! Ironically, the coronavirus has forced us to take the church outside our four walls and that is not such a bad thing after all. Perhaps it may become a great blessing in the large scheme of who the church is and what should we be doing to promote the gospel ?
Today’s Scripture passage from 1 Corinthians 12 reminds us that “God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” You and I as Christians comprise the “body of Christ” (the church). Furthermore, as disciples, the Holy Spirit has gifted us with gifts that contribute to the work of the church. In the book, “I Am A Church Member,” Thom S. Rainer writes, “Do you know how to remain a biblical member of a church? Answer: Give abundantly and serve without hesitation. Biblical church membership serves and ministers as a natural way of doing things. Biblical church membership is functioning membership.”
Although we have been very limited in these recent weeks concerning what we can do, there has been a core group of dedicated members of our North Run family who have been functioning efficiently. Please allow me to commend several groups of our church family who have gone the extra mile.
Many of our Sunday School teachers have faithfully continued teaching through the Zoom platform. A special thank you to Diamond Cotman, our Director of Children’s Ministry, who has organized this whole process. Also many volunteers led by Carrie & Scott Arnall have faithfully increased the outreach of our food pantry. These volunteers have collected and distributed numerous boxes of food to many families in our community. Finally may I commend so many of our faithful church members for continuing to give your tithes and offerings to keep all our ministries ongoing in this challenging time. Many of you have also donated food and hygiene items to help facilitate our food pantry ministry. May God bless you all for your faithfulness during this pandemic situation. Thank you for being dedicated members of the body of Christ, known as North Run Baptist.
Prayer: Gracious and loving God, thank you for the compassionate and loving church family we have here at North Run. Please help us to grow even more compassionate as we continue to learn how to minister and reflect your goodness in this community, state and world. Please bless our giving of our time, talents and means for the glory of your kingdom. Amen.
Kerry Smith- Associate Pastor