24 April
Dear Friends,
This Sunday's passage for our service is perhaps the best known passage in all of Scripture: Psalm 23, which begins, 'The Lord's my shepherd, I shall not want...' This is a psalm that has been set to beautiful music and is regularly read or sung at funerals, weddings and other rites of passage. It strikes me what a very good passage it is for this COVID time. The Psalm is upbeat and reassuring and yet it is realistic too about life and the world: it talks about 'the darkest valley' where we may have cause to fear (v.4) and it speaks of 'enemies'( v.5). It doesn't pretend that life is all 'green pastures' and 'still waters' (v.2) and yet it speaks reassuringly of God as the shepherd who walks with us, keeps faith with us even when we stray, and who follows us with goodness and mercy. I pray that this will be your experience in these difficult days of COVID.
And on the subject of shepherds and walking through pastures etc...
Let me give advance publicity of the Night Walk for Refugees that takes place each year - not last year, but this year again, on the night of September 11th and 12th. And now the challenge: normally you get a choice of a 20 km or 40 km version of the walk, but this year it is just the 40 km walk on offer! There will, however, be some practice walks if you'd like to build up your strength for it. Contact me if you are interested and I'll pass your name on.
Keep well, and all best wishes to you,
Lance
THIS WEEK:
Sunday, 10.30 hrs:
Morning Worship
Livestream service; you can access this just before 10.30 am directly via this link: https://youtu.be/uYiadoFrVCs or via the website homepage.
Our reading for this Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Easter, is Psalm 23.
Sunday, 21.00 hrs:
Compline (short evening prayers); join at: https://zoom.us/j/91386497205?pwd=YUN5dnRLOWlybHDSV250aHdJcnhiQT09
Tuesday, 08.45 hrs:
Psalm Reciting (this week Psalm 10-17). We will not meet at the church for this, but you might like to participate from your own home at 8.45 or some other time.
Tuesday, 19.30 hrs:
Zoom Bible study had to be cancelled last week due to technical problems, but it is rescheduled for Tuesday, 19.30. We are studying Colossians 1. Join us at: https://zoom.us/j/92316847530?pwd=TjdObHBvcmVTRWM4bWprS2QrenBnQT09
Thursday, 21.00hrs.
Compline (short evening prayer): join at: https://zoom.us/j/91386497205?pwd=YUN5dnRLOWlybHDSV250aHdJcnhiQT09
Prayer:
In this time there may be people who feel especially in need of prayer either for themselves or for someone else. In 'normal' times there was a small group of people in the congregation who used to take it in turns on Sundays to be available after the service to pray for anyone in need - so, if you would like prayer or have a particular prayer request please contact Margaret Richards on margaretanne_richards@hotmail.com and she and the others will pray accordingly.
A word about finance….
Please note that in this period when we are not meeting together there is a way of giving to the church on the website, https://www.erc.amsterdam.