Dear Blainsport Church Family,

COVID-19 numbers reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health continue to rise at an alarming rate. The department reports significant increases in the number of COVID-19 cases among all age groups, not limited to older generations. Admittedly, contracting the disease does not automatically mean that death is imminent. However, it does mean that hospitals are likely to become overwhelmed by daily new cases, and certainly, death rates will increase. This is simply the reality we must face at this time.

As a church family, we never want to find ourselves in a situation where we have to close our doors again so that everyone can isolate. The “church closing” of 2020 was one of the darkest periods in our church history. If there is a way to avoid shutting down in the future and remain biblically faithful at the same time, we should take such steps.

At Blainsport, we made some adjustments to be able to gather on Sunday mornings. Without question, our efforts have been minimal and frankly very relaxed. Wanting to honor the discretion and dignity of every person has been our goal. It has worked, and there is no reason to believe that each of us will not do our best to honor and protect each other during this difficult time.

We can work together in the weeks ahead by wearing face coverings and spacing more intentionally. We will not get this perfect, but taking a few easy steps could yield some beneficial results. Wearing a mask while moving around inside the church can go a long way. Also, sitting in church pews marked at the end of the bench by blue tape is an easy way of “distancing.” Avoiding handshakes and hugs has already become part of our routine. Youth and Children’s ministries can work to find more accommodating spaces in the church during Sunday school.

This type of letter and repeated announcements will hopefully not become a regular part of church life. Once in a while, however, it is good to remind ourselves of some ways we can respond to COVID-19 together as a church family. We do not plan to police each other in our efforts, nor will we shame one another, but rather show respect and kindness to all. Our mission at Blainsport is to create a life-giving environment where people can grow closer to Christ. That is the priority, and we should make an effort to do that in safe surroundings.
​
Serving Christ together,
--Eric, on behalf of the Leadership Team

This Sunday, we will begin our sermon series from the Gospel of John 15 entitled The Vine. How many times does the relevance of the Biblical passage surprise you? In John 15, Jesus describes himself to his friends as “the true vine.” He goes on to teach them about three vital relationships. Disciples are to be rightly related to Jesus (vv. 1–10), each other (vv. 11–17), and the world (vv. 18–27). Disciples have three respective duties: to remain (abide), to love each other, and to testify about Him even if those hearing the message reject it and you.
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This passage of Scripture is so vital for the church in these days of anger, confusion, and doubt. I’m looking forward to studying this passage with you to discover how we can live as followers of Jesus. Take some time to read John 15:1-27 over the next three weeks; I know you will benefit as you immerse yourself in His Word! 

​I don’t want to be overdramatic, but on Friday, July 17, 2020, the church lost one of its greatest treasures. J.I. Packer left his temporary home here on earth to join the Lord Jesus in glory. Perhaps fewer Christians are familiar with Packer than they were with Ravi Zacharias, who passed away on May 19, of this year, both giants in the Christian academy.
 
Among the millions of books written through the ages, only a few rise to the level of being called a “classic.” Knowing God by J. I. Packer certainly ranks among them! Sitting in a cabin on an island in Canada as a young man, I concluded reading this masterpiece. In it, I learned of God as the Bible reveals him. Too often, our view of God is so tainted by our culture. Instead of understanding God for who he really is, we often press him into the cultural mold we create. Packer helps the reader uncover God by exploring the meaning of his truth, love, grace, justice, and wrath. After reading Knowing God, I had a greater appreciation for the cross, and the tremendous sacrifice God made through Christ for my atonement (propitiation) on the cross.
 
It is no small thing to say that Packer influenced my core theological understandings about God and the church. I often turn to his Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs (1993) when writing my sermons, and one of his last works, Weakness Is the Way: Life with Christ Our Strength (2013) was helpful to me during my recent call to the role of bishop.
 
J.I. Packer remained engaged in the Lord’s work through the age of 93; he was ever teaching, always pointing to Jesus. If my life makes half the impact of Packer’s, then my journey on earth exceeded all my expectations.  

Last Sunday, we began the sermon series called “None Greater.” As mortal human beings, we naturally think in finite terms. When we talk about and attempt to understand God, however, we cannot think in the same way, lest we inadvertently attempt to domesticate him. In this series of messages, we want to understand there is no one like our God.

Since we are back in our building, the audio recording of the message will be posted on our website (blainsport.org) the following week. You can also see the entire worship service on our Facebook page. In addition to the worship service on Facebook, we will also have guest Sunday School speakers. We will not be able to Livestream any video material used during Sunday School. So, not all adult classes will show up on Livestream. Check your bulletin to see if a speaker is scheduled for that Sunday.

We are happy to be returning to some of our regular activities in the church. However, I like to follow the advice of my good friend Brian Martin at Weaverland Anabaptist Faith Community, “be nimble and flexible in spirit.” So, we will humbly adjust as necessary along the way.

I must admit, it continues to be an exciting season in the life of the church.  So many amazing testimonies keep unfolding about how God is shaping individuals. I’m inspired by the ways so many of us are “leaning on the everlasting arms” of Jesus. While I love seeing many of us in person during Sunday morning worship gatherings, I realize there are so many others still awaiting a less risky time to return. Keep plugging into our online resources and please call or email me if you need anything—even just to chat.

I hope to see you this Sunday in person or online!

​In the Old Testament, we learn of a Jewish celebration called the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-21). It is referred to as the Feast of Weeks because it occurs seven weeks after Passover. The Greek name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks derived from the 50 days is Pentecost.
 
In the New Testament, Jesus becomes the Passover sacrifice. Unlike the blood of an animal, His shed blood has the power to atone for all sins. Fifty days after his resurrection (Easter Sunday), the church celebrates Pentecost. On the Day of Pentecost, the early Christians received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, sent by Christ to empower, convict, sanctify, and seal all believers.
 
On the day of the first Pentecost, after receiving the Holy Spirit, The Apostle Peter preached a powerful message. When the crowd heard the sermon, they were “cut to the heart,” meaning they were convicted of sin and conscience-stricken. The people were so moved by the message that they asked Peter, “What shall we do?” Peter did not hesitate with his answer, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38, NLT).
 
These believers and all believers, after them, receive two free gifts of God. The first gift is the forgiveness of sins (past, present, and future) and then the gift of the Holy Spirit who indwells them and transforms them. Imagine that. The Pentecostal gift was not for the apostles alone but for all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone who receives Jesus Christ receives both gifts.
 
Today, you do not need to come from the right family or have a perfect record as an upright human being. Instead, Christ died for all sinners, and he forgives all who call on him. This Sunday is Pentecost. If you are a believer, I hope you take some time to thank Jesus for salvation full and free and the amazing reality that His Spirit lives in you. And if you have never decided to follow Jesus, I pray that the truth about Jesus will “cut you to the heart” so that you can turn to Him for forgiveness and peace.

Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God (Luke 24:50–53, NLT).

Today you might notice, particularly among the Anabaptist plain communities, as special worship gathering. These are strange times with business closing due to COVID-19. Still, traditionally, Mennonite businesses would remain closed on this special day in the life of the church.

For centuries, Christians from all denominations celebrated Ascension Day. Forty days after Easter, Jesus ascended or departed the face of the earth by physically taking to the air and disappearing in the sky. Ascension Day reminds Christians that our living Lord is ministering in heaven right now. As a result of His current position, Christ sent the Holy Spirit to empower believers and the church to do his work here on earth. And we retain the promise that He will return to this earth one day to gather those who belong to Him—those who received His redemption.

I want to encourage you to read the full account in Acts 1:6–11 sometime today. I always find it astounding as I relive the ascension scene on Mount Olivet with my imagination. In my mind’s eye, the sight is glorious. One of Ireland’s finest evangelical preachers, Thomas Kelly, apparently shared the same sentiment when he wrote the hymn, “Look, Ye Saints” (The Mennonite Hymnal, 186)

Look, ye saints! the sight is glorious: See the Man of Sorrows now; from the fight returned victorious, ev’ry knee to Him shall bow: Crown Him! crown Him! Crowns become the Victor’s brow.

Crown the Savior! angels, crown Him! rich the trophies Jesus brings; in the seat of pow’r enthrone Him, while the vault of heaven rings: Crown Him! crown Him! Crown the Savior King of kings.

​Hark! those bursts of acclamation! Hark! those loud triumphant chords! Jesus takes the highest station—O what joy the sight affords! Crown Him! crown Him! King of kings and Lord of lords!

Yesterday, I got to talk with someone very dear to me. It was quite a while since we last spoke, so there was some catching up to do. During our conversation, he mentioned how God was convicting him to return to Him. God has a way of calling back those who belong to Him, those who will pay attention to His voice.

Isaiah 44:22 reminds us that sins fade away to nothing in the presence of God. By his grace, we find forgiveness for our sins. It is by that grace that God calls us to return to Him no matter how far we stray from Him.

​Is God working in the lives of those He loves during this coronavirus pandemic? I think so. I think some of us can see more clearly where we stand on our spiritual journey. For many, if not all of us, God is revealing our propensity to drift away from Him, and now He cries out, “Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

​One of the notable qualities of the Psalms is their raw honesty. They aren’t neat and clean; they aren’t whitewashed. So often they put into words what my heart feels, but my head cannot comprehend. This morning, Psalm 56:8 caught my attention. “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?”
 
Maybe “suffering” is on my mind after hearing Keith Weaver’s message this past Sunday. Or perhaps it is because my prayers in the midst of the Coronavirus contain the words, “Do not forget us” or “It seems like you’re not paying attention to our troubles, God.”
 
Many Psalms, including others by King David, often complain that God is absent or that He fails to notice their suffering. Here in Psalm 56:8, the psalmist expresses confidence that God watches over him, even amid his suffering. The psalmist is unsettled—tossing about in his time of trouble. Yet, he recognized that God did not abandon him.
 
What a beautiful word picture; He “put my tears in [His] bottle.” God does not miss my anguish or fear. He is the Rock on which I stand! A global pandemic might shake my confidence in myself, the scientific world, the economy, the leaders over me, but God is powerful, righteous, and my Rock in this storm. Not only does He have control of all things, but He keeps track of what causes me troubles.
 
So, I can walk through this time, not shaken by what I cannot control. I can be honest with what I feel, and then fully rest my concerns on the Rock that supports me.
 
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

​The morning started out damp and dreary only to develop into downpours of rain throughout the day. Didn’t God know we were trying to do something good for Him? Didn’t He understand all the planning, negotiations, and downright hard work that went into this event? Now, what if no one shows up?
 
Those feelings and questions quickly dissolved in the mud puddles as car after car of Blainsport church family members and friends arrived for a time of prayer and blessing. Those involved in the event ignored the rain, only concentrating on the sorely missed faces of the church family.
 
“Showers of blessings” flowed from beaming, joy-filled faces. Everyone seemed to express a desire to come back together to be the church—a worshipping community of believers. Sure, the time away was a positive experience of personal reflection and prayer. Still, the reality of navigating life alone was unacceptable for them.
 
Twenty-eight cars, some with individuals, most with passengers, were greeted at the carport by the leadership team. The fact of the matter is that the leadership team came away from the morning more encouraged and blessed than words can describe. Some people shared how they feel so helpless without work or school. Waking up in the morning feels purposeless without performing the work they love, and being with the people, they know so well. Those who kept their jobs find everyday, unlike the previous day. There are new regulations or demands placed on them now.
 
Interestingly, amid the changes thrust upon them, people were happy and confident. The nightly news reports appear inaccurate after talking with these individuals. Everyone was making the best of these difficult days, and they all pointed to God for their strength and hope.
 
Let’s keep praying that God will not delay His compassion. Pray that He will remember us, His weak and needy people, according to His mercy. Ask Him not to forget the cry of the afflicted. Instead, granting us recovery and ultimately a cure for this disease. Pray that God will purify His people from our craving for prosperity and endless entertainment. Pray that God will stretch out His hand and awaken this perishing world to our great need for a Savior. And pray that God will receive much honor and glory through this unprecedented time, in Christ’s name.