Easter Victory

I can’t think of a time when the world has been more scared. The anguish is unprecedented in my lifetime. Fear is in the eyes. Anxiety is written on the face. The news is fixated on one thing - Covid 19. Suddenly we are faced with our own mortality. Humans are not invincible, surprise surprise. Sickness and Death are still enemies that need to be conquered. Despite the health food industry, the life saving equipment we possess, the wealth of our nation; we are stumbling through a worldwide crisis such as this generation has never seen.

It comes in the middle of Easter. Easter represents faith, hope, and new life. I write this specifically to those who feel lost at this time. When we have the props kicked out from under us, what hold us up?

Suddenly faced without a job to go to. Forced to spend time at home. Made to do stuff you have never done before, like homeschool. Drug and alcohol use is way up. Hospital beds are empty in preparation for the onslaught of Covid patients. But not Psych beds, they are full.

I have good news for you. Jesus is real and alive. He can help. I too have been feeling the stress. Normal rhythms of life have disappeared. On top of all the changes at Our Daily Bread, at KCF and in my personal life, I dropped Doreen (my wife) off at the hospital for surgery on a potential cancer tumor on her kidney this past Wednesday. I was not allowed into the building, she walked in alone to a potential life ending procedure. I had to go home. I could not be with her at one of our most challenging times during our 40 years of marriage. It felt so weird, strange, and wrong. Thursday, I called her and found out she had half her kidney removed, tumor gone and she was in good spirits, but in pain. I still could not go to her because of Covid. It is in times like this, we find out if God is real. He may not change my immediate crisis or fix my present predicament, but he will, if I call out to him to strengthen me for the assignment given me.

This is our promise. This is what Easter is all about. Jesus rose from the dead, meaning he lives. Because he conquered the greatest foe of all, he truly is our present help in times like this. I want you to experience Easter too.

We cannot do what our tradition has been. But we can experience God during this time, if we will reach out to Him. To celebrate Easter, we are inviting anyone who chooses to be with us via Zoom to jump on board. We will worship, take communion together, and I will give a devotional to encourage our hearts during this challenging time. If you are interested in joining us, and did not receive a password and link to Zoom, please email office@kcfoffice.com and we will send you the password and link. 

Here is what you will need:

• To connect by phone, download the free Zoom app before Sunday, Click on link and enter password and have a good Wi-Fi connection
• By computer, you will need a video camera and internet, click on link
• By phone, call in one of the numbers given

A piece of bread and some grape juice or wine.

Please sign in before 10:30 so we can start on time.

Looking forward to seeing you together online by using the technology of the internet.

If you need to talk, feel free to reach out to me at pastorjim@kcfoffice.com. I am here for you.

Jim Reimer, Pastor

April 9, 2020