Dear St. Mark,

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues on, perhaps longer than many of us first imagined, it is easy to become discouraged and frustrated. Although it is the safe and responsible decision for the health of our community, the news this week that our county will extend the shelter in place order casts us deeper into the unknown. And the unknown is scary. Questions and concerns abound and, unfortunately, no answers or end dates appear on the horizon.

So to what, then, do we cling? What, then, can possibly give us hope or even the slightest bit of confidence at a time like this?

In Colossians 2:6 Paul exhorts us to be Rooted in Christ. To cling to Him. For in Christ, each of us has been delivered from sin and death. And in Christ, all sin and evil, all death and disease, has been disarmed and ultimately defeated. Paul continues in Colossians 2:9, "For in [Christ] the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority".

As we continue on in our Easter celebration, we are again reminded of Christ's ultimate victory over sin and death. But we are also reminded of how Jesus, God made flesh, dwells within us. We are Rooted in Christ, Christ is ever-present with us. And in Him we find our hope and confidence.

Therefore, may Christ Jesus, who has been raised from the dead, continue to hold you steady in His hands and give you comfort and peace.

In Christ,

Pastor Nick