Maundy Thursday Thoughts

April 9th, 2020
Dear Hope,
As I was driving into the office today I was having a little pity party for myself. Feeling kind of sad because we can’t go to my sister’s house for Easter lunch, I’ll miss the bright morning Easter service and getting my girls to wear a dress one time during the year. I miss the carefree shopping for Easter basket goodies. But as I drove up to the church I realized that today is indeed Maundy Thursday where we remember the Last Supper, and the beginning of Christ’s suffering and journey to the Cross. It made my “vain cares” petty in comparison. Don’t let this virus shift our focus from why we remember and why we celebrate this weekend.
 
When this shut down is all over, I hope we have one humdinger of a service to celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection, but until then…
Pastor Paul has a reading for Maundy Thursday on Youtube. You can access it here: https://youtu.be/FNr8LnKdD-Q
 
He will have a followup Bible Study tonight, April 9th at 7pm via Zoom. Here is the link for that study: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/396263186
Meeting ID: 396 263 186
 
On Good Friday, Pastor has recorded a Tennebrae service that can be found on Youtube as well.
 
And finally on Sunday, April 12th there is an Easter Celebration Service that will be on Youtube, for which the bulletin is attached. You can access both the Good Friday and Easter Sunday Services here: Hope Lutheran Church of Linden Services
 
I don’t know about you, but I am feeling pretty techie these days with all of these digital meetings and services! If you have any questions or problems accessing these, please call the office! If Pastor is not here, and in the likely event that I cannot answer your questions, I will call my daughters, and we will figure it out together. (only partially joking here)
 
Thank you for your continued patience during this unusual time!
 
April
~Office Manager

Read more...

Remote Worship Opportunities

March 20, 2020
Passionate People of Hope!
Let us pray, O God, the helper of all who call on You, have mercy on us and give us eyes of faith to see Your Son that we may follow Him on the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
 
I would like to thank everyone who has volunteered to help care for one another during this time of separation. If you are in need in any way during this pandemic please call the office, myself, or your elder. Don’t forget to go to our website or Facebook page on Sunday to watch our Worship Service. Gather the whole family around sing praises to our God and hear His marvelous Word. We will also be starting up distance Bible studies this next week. If you have a PC, tablet, or smartphone with access to the internet you would be able to participate. Please email me so I can send you an invite.  You will also need to download Microsoft Teams to your device. There is no charge to do this. We are also working on a unique way to provide Confession/Absolution & Communion if these restrictions are in place for an extended period of time. May the Lord comfort you through His Word and give you peace.
 
2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV) For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
 
O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
 
-O Christ, Our True and Only Light (LSB 839:1)
 
Almighty God, merciful Father, who created and completed all things, on this day when the work of our calling begins anew, we implore You to create its beginning, direct its continuance, and bless its end, that our doings may be preserved from sin, our life sanctified, and our work this day be well-pleasing to You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
 
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
 
IHS,
Pastor Paul Kollek

Read more...

Suspension of Services

March 17, 2020
Passionate People of Hope!
Each and everyday new and more stringent recommendations and instructions are being issued. I had spent much of the day yesterday talking with Healthcare professionals, church leaders at Hope and throughout our Michigan district making plans for worship that would meet those recommendations while doing our best to keep our most vulnerable protected. I spent a significant amount of time reaching out to those who are at a higher risk in our congregation recommending self-quarantine and offering help in procuring groceries or pharmaceuticals with the aim of keeping them from being exposed to the coronavirus. (I would like to thank all of those who have emailed or called to volunteer to help do this!)
 
It has been and remains our desire to follow the instructions issued by our authorities for the safety of our members and our communities. Great care and prayer have, is, and will go into everything that we do. However, as I expected even before I left the office yesterday new guidelines were issued dropping the number of people at gatherings from 50 to 10. Therefore, it is with a very heavy heart that we must suspend our normal Worship services. We will do this for as short a time as necessary. As soon as these recommendations are changed to allow us to Worship together in the flesh we will do so.
 
Hope has never been the most technically savvy congregation. I am so thankful that Hope has been blessed with Mark. Together with him and a small worship team we will be recording and posting services on our website, Facebook, and YouTube. We will be forwarding that information to you on how to watch as soon as we have it ready.
 
As our lives are upended by this pandemic, we as Christians should not give in to or perpetuate the panic that we see in the world around us. (staying off social media may help) St. Paul writes to Timothy; “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7) During the years of the early church, plagues and epidemics were more common and more deadly than anything we have seen in our lifetimes. One thing that differentiated Christians from the pagans was a lack of fear. Where others fled, Christians out of love cared for the sick and the dying both Christians and non-Christians alike with many contracting the diseases themselves from those whom they cared for. But, it was through these actions of love that many received Christ and the church grew. We live in a different time but in many ways, it’s the same world. Panic and fear gripped unbelievers both then and now. Let it not grip the hearts of Christians or the people of Hope. While we can take every precaution and follow every recommendation ultimately we are all in the hands of God. If you are anxious or worried you are told to pray. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God”.
 
Ultimately it is a matter of trust. Do we trust in God’s goodness, do we trust that He has our best interest at heart. “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8) If we truly trust in Him we will not fear, but be moved by the power of His love to care for all our neighbors, Christian and pagan alike.
 
As we journey together through this time of uncertainty receive comfort in our Lord Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the devil and in these words to you “In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world”. No matter what may happen to you in this life you are and always will be Christ’s he has overcome this world and through Him, you will also overcome it unto life eternal.
 
IHS,
 
Pastor Paul Kollek

Read more...