April 2020 NewsletterGrace, mercy, and peace are yours in and

through our Lord Jesus Christ in these difficult days!

Dear Family of God at Grace,

The author of the book of James, probably the Lord's brother, begins his letter with these words: "James, a servant (doulos - Greek for slave) of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:1-4 ESV).

Likewise, I write to you sisters and brothers in the dispersion. The dispersion which James speaks of is the scattering of Jewish Christians some 20 years after Jesus Crucifixion. Romans and Jews alike wanted to squash the growth of the Christian Church. Christians were therefore scattered, a dispersion or diaspora.

In a small way today, we the church are scattered, dispersed, living in a kind of diaspora. We the church were meant to live together in community but for this time we are scattered and sequestered at home for our own safety. And so, I greet you all in the dispersion.

What James says in the rest of his greeting is a profound and powerful encouragement for you scattered people. "Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." Count it all joy. Really! How many of us are counting this trial as joy? I heard a politician say we are angry and scared. Are you angry and scared? I'm not. I frustrated and bored! While I like my home, I never want to spend as much time in my house again,

when this is over! I'm not angry or scared but I don't think I'm counting all this as "JOY."

James has a wonderful outlook on trials, suffering. He sees trials/suffering as a test of your faith and he's not wrong. Trials/suffering tests our faith in Christ. Whether we live or die we belong to the Lord! but who really wants to put that to the test right now? We all want to live, yet we are all going to die, unless Jesus returns first. So, this trial is a testing.

Thankfully testing of faith produces something, steadfastness. What a wonderful word - steadfastness. It is the quality of being resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering. To be fixed in place. May God, through this trial, which we are counting as joy, test our faith to produce steadfastness in the faith. May you find through this trial that you are resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering in Christ, fixed in Him for eternal life.

Steadfastness, when it has its full effect means you are perfect and complete, lacking nothing. It means that your faith in Christ is fixed, resolute, firm and unwavering. And in Christ you are perfect and complete, lacking nothing and that dear brothers and sisters in the dispersion is reason to count this trial as joy!

Be safe! Stay Covid free! Keep watching us on YouTube. We have the Lord Supper offered on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10AM to 3PM, call or email the office to schedule a time. If you need anything call or email the office and we will get you the help you need.

Pray that this will be over quickly and we can get back to being a community together in worship and not this #alonetogether craziness!If you need a home visit and can have one, please let me know.

In His Service,

Pastor Lingsch

UPCOMING EVENTS

You may watch all of the Holy Week service from our YouTube page:  Grace Lutheran YouTube Page to watch servicesWatch between services for Sunday morning Bible Study, also on YouTube.

Palm Sunday ServiceApril 5th8:00 am and 10:30 am

Maundy Thursday ServiceApril 9th6:30 pm

Good Friday ServiceApril 10th6:30 pm

Holy SaturdayApril 11th 6:30 pm

Easter SundayApril 12th8:00 am and 10:30 am

Board of Christian Education April 26thNoon Via Zoom

WEEKLY EVENTSCommunion on Tuesdays and Fridays10:00 am - 3:00 pmPlease call or email the office.  Gwyn will schedule a time so that we can all 'social distances'

Livestream Bible Class on YouTube with Pastor LingschThursdays 1:00 pm 

Youth NewsKami Jo Mogelvang

All events are on hold until further notice.

Lutheran Witness SubscriptionIf you are interested in receiving The Lutheran Witness this coming year, please let the office know by May 1st.  You may pay for it by using the envelope marked 'Lutheran Witness' in your offering envelope box, or contact the office for other options.  This year a subscription will cost $11.

Remember:  You have until May 1st to renew or subscribe. 

Joyful ResponseIf you would like to have an easy way to continue supporting Grace with your offering, consider signing up for Joyful Response.  With Joyful Response, you can choose how much and how often you would like to have your offering transferred from your bank account, directly to Grace, to help support our missions and programs.  You would not have to worry about writing checks.  Attached is the form that you would need to fill out.  If you don't have a printer, please call the office, and a form can be mailed to you. 

Do you need someone to talk to? To walk with you through a difficult time? Deaconess Linda Nobili will be available for spiritual counseling again beginning Oct 15th. Please feel free to contact her anytime at (248) 892-7405 or by email at dcslinda1492@gmail.com.

Did You Know We Have a Facebook Page?Please 'Like' us on Facebook!  Grace of Naples Lutheran Church and Preschool.  

 

Amazon SmileDo you make purchases from Amazon?  Here is an easy way to earn money for our church and preschool without spending any extra money.  Instead of going to Amazon, search for Amazon Smiles.  This page will allow you to put in an organization that will then get a small portion of the money of the things you purchase. Under organizations, search for Grace Lutheran Church, Naples, FL.  Each time you purchase using Amazon Smiles, a small percentage will be donated to Grace.  Amazon Smiles will also remember that you want Grace as a beneficiary.  It won't cost you anything extra but our church benefits with a check from Amazon.  Any questions, call the church office.   

Anxious or ACTIVE?

The Pelican Lutheran ChurchMission Update

Pastor Mark EisoldDo Not Be Anxious22 And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[c] 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,[d] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his[e] kingdom, and these things will be added to you.32 "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 What a GREAT TIME to be a follower of Jesus!!!Once we get past the undeniable challenge of the stress of NOT KNOWING what is going to happen tomorrow - and the tiredness associated with that - the Lord is showing us the incredible opportunities before us as carriers of His Mysteries! In a time when few have peace, the Holy Spirit is opening our mouths to declare the praise of Him who conquered death and the grave: Jesus Christ. I am encouraging everyone with God's word to have peace and confidence while being careful and wise with regards to their health. We are encouraging people to share with their neighbor and gto give testimony to the Lord Jesus and His provision for us. We remember the widow of Zarephath from 1st Kings 17, and how the Lord provided for her, her son, and the Prophet Elijah. As crazy and difficult as this is for everyone, the switch from personal to technical/virtual contact for pastors is brutal! Yet, the Lord is doing far greater things (again) than I could have ever imagined. I have some wonderful, brave men stepping up to help me reach people better. They have experience in tech and production of programming. They are prepping me, coaching me, and are not trying to teach the details, which I don't need to know. This is still tough for me, but Jesus is delivering great things for us all through it! The Lord blessed us with over 45 households in six different countries

tuning in to our first two live services on Instagram & Facebook!!We also do two live-stream videos a week, with one interactive. Our first interactive lasted an hour and had ten participants.We have a new banner on order to promote faith in Jesus on our front sign. The message is Romans 14:9 and offers a full declaration of Jesus' death and resurrection:"For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living." We follow that with, "Trust in the Lord Jesus." Your prayers and support are vital. We are praying for YOU and your families now more than ever before. The Lord Jesus is WITH US; the God of Israel is our Fortress!