Greetings MCC Family,

Have you ever said: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder?” Maybe? Maybe not?

We are living in the absence category of life right now. But just think we have gotten by since mid-March living under pandemic restrictions – just maybe we can make it through this. And just maybe we will be a bit “fonder” or appreciate more our time together as part of our dear McCutchanville Community Church.

Just Remember:

Joseph was separated from his father, Jacob, and his eleven brothers (weren’t they the best group), and God reconciled them, using Joseph’s foreign land in Egypt to save his family from famine.

Moses went on a hiatus for 40 years to escape Egypt with his life. God called him back to perform the Exodus.

Hannah was without a child for so long and pleaded with God for a child. She asked God for a son and in return she vowed to give the son back to God for the service of God. This son was Samuel who became a very important person in transition from the Judges to the Kings of Israel. Hannah waited and God provided.

Samuel would eventually go to Jesse’s house to choose the next king of Israel after King Saul’s failure as the first king. David would accept this but was reluctant to overtake Saul and become king. He waited, seemingly almost too long. Finally. Saul’s life ended and David began his reign, and more importantly “the man after God’s own heart.”

In the New Testament Zechariah and Elizabeth would wait and wait for a child, to the point that it would take a miracle for her to bear a child at her age. Again, God provided the miracle and John the Baptist was born.

Jesus himself waited for 30 years for his earthly ministry to begin. Then the world waited for 3 days while Jesus was in the tomb.

Today we wait for Jesus’ return and proclaim in the Great Thanksgiving before Holy Communion:

Christ will come again.

As we wait for effective medications and vaccinations for COVID-19. As we wait for our racial divide to be brought together through conversations, reasoning, and solutions, so that we can put an end to the endless and needless suffering and violence. As we wait for two political parties to state their best case and not leave us wanting more. As we wait for our economy to regain momentum and offer opportunities to succeed for all persons. As we wait…

Psalm 145:18: The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. Do not lose hope. Do not give up. In your best of times, call on Him. In your average times, call on Him. In your worst of times, call on Him.

Psalm 27:14: Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. So after we call on Him, we wait for Him. We wait for God to bring us through and show us the way the truth and the life, especially during the year 2020.

We come back to worship and Holy Communion on September 6^th. This part of our waiting is over, and we look forward to what God has in store for us as we go forward together.

Take heart and wait for the Lord,

Pastor Greg