“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Dear Members and Friends,

I greet you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday. It’s the beginning of Holy Week. For Jesus’ disciples, it was a time of uncertainty and fear. For us, we are in uncharted waters as well, as we face together the COVID-19 global health crisis. Yesterday, I found out that a pastor friend of mine, a member of NYAC, passed away because of the Coronavirus. She was only 41 years old. Maybe because she is the first victim I personally know, I now feel this virus right next to me.

But, rather than live in fear, let us together approach this challenge in faith. We have an opportunity to model for our children and for families and for each other what a faith-filled and faithful response can be. Instead of living in panic and in fear, being reactionary and taking a self-centered response, we have a chance to remain rational and reasoned and to approach this pandemic in a spirit of trust.
What I fear, more than COVID-19, is that we will forget who we are and to whom we belong. As a church, we need to take preventive measures and commit ourselves to prayer. We need to rely on the health professionals for advice and entrust our lives to Christ. And then we need to step back and stay centered and remember and remind each other that we belong to Christ.
The apostle Paul says it well: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Tom