Dear Church Family,
Years ago when I was a young Navy Chaplain (and in much better shape) I served with who we refer to today as “special operators.” I was a chaplain for a Marine “Recon” Battalion. These were the Navy SEALS of the Marine Corps. And speaking of those guys I was also fortunate to spend some time with them as well. In fact it was a Navy SEAL who happened to be a Christian and who taught me some things about overcoming fear with faith.
He told me about his BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition/ SEAL) training that all Sailors have to make it through in order to wear the Trident signifying that they are Navy SEALS. There is a particularly difficult week (to put it mildly) they call “Hell Week.” It is designed to winnow out the mentally and physically weak candidates. The majority of BUDS candidates drop during this week, in fact the attrition rate for the entire course is usually around 50-60%!
My buddy told me that those who make it through Hell Week and the entire BUDS training are the ones who break down their time into moments, not days. They focus on the task that is before them. They focus on the NOW. They strive to make it to lunch, then dinner, then nighttime when they can get a little sleep. Then they do it all over again. The ones who don’t make it look too far ahead into the future. They dream of the end and then lose hope as they face the myriad of obstacles and struggles during the day.
Listen, I know what we all are going through is scary and at times pretty tough. I know fear is at an all time high. So, how do you overcome this fear? Just as my Navy SEAL friend told me long ago. You choose FAITH! Not tomorrow – don’t wait for Sunday – but right now, in this moment. As we go through this it will be a moment by moment choice. Don’t look backward and think about what could have been or wonder about the future. Live in the NOW! The truth is we don’t know what would have been. So, focus each moment on creating what will be.
I want to encourage all of you to keep your faith and hope alive in the most difficult of moments. Focus on the task at hand each and every day. If you do this, then I believe something amazing will come out of this for you.
Observance of the Lord’s Supper
This Sunday, May 3rd, during our on-line service, we will enter into a time of taking the Lord’s Supper together. I’ll be serving our worship team in the FMC and I’m asking that you participate at home. Please obtain a piece of bread or cracker and some water or juice before joining us. Remember, what you use is not as important as what it symbolizes, so please don’t worry about having the “right” elements or in having an ordained person present. It’s the presence of Jesus that only matters and He is present in the elements that we consecrate and partake together.
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Announcements:
- Our prayer time continues on Sunday mornings at 11:30am and Wednesdays at 7pm. Call: 712-432-8399 and when prompted enter the following code:279785#
- Our office remains open on Mondays from 9am-1pm. Calls are to the office are being forwarded to Judy’s cell phone number. If she doesn’t answer, keep calling. You can also reach me at 703-405-7881 (cell). Or via email: [email protected]
- We will continue our on-line services at 10am on Sundays until further notice. Clearly we will continue to abide by the protocols and guidance issued from the Commonwealth. Once that changes, then we will make an announcement.
- Keep checking the church website, Facebook page and the church “Pathways” page. There is information that is relevant to most people. There are also devotionals, children’s ministry assistance, announcements, etc.
- Let’s continue to lift up in prayer those in our church family and others that are near and dear to us:
Submit your prayer requests via email or text to me (my contact information is listed above) or Judy at the church email address.
I love you all,
Pastor Frank
