TRPC Broadcast Email – Tuesday 31, 2020

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,  my glory, and the lifter of my head.

I cried aloud to the Lord,  and he answered me from his holy hill.  (Psalm 3:3)

Our church session met yesterday in a called meeting to decide the immediate future of our church. Our meeting started less than two hours after the Virginia governor announced that he was immediately implementing a ‘Stay at Home’ order for Virginia, taking effect from March 30 until June 10, unless it’s later amended or rescinded. I imagine this was a somewhat easy decision for Governor Northam to make considering how quickly the virus is spreading through our country – and now through our state of Virginia.

Heeding the directive from authorities and relying on the wisdom God has granted, the session decided to extend our voluntary exile from our church building, committees, activities, meetings and unfortunately … from one another for one more month, until the end of April. At that time, the local situation will be revaluated.

We will continue with both our Sunday School instruction and Sunday worship to be online. Sunday school available Sunday mornings online using the Zoom video format, and Sunday worship will be available on YouTube, which can accessed on our church website (www.TRPChurch.org) and our church Facebook account. There will be more information in our newsletter which will be mailed out soon. Final editing of our newsletter was delayed while waiting for the session’s decisions.

The scripture chosen today comes from the 3^rd Psalm. This psalm of David was when David (in his later years) fled from his son Absalom. As is often the case with the Psalms, psalm 3:3 begins with the problem, reasons for fear and anxiety. Then, the voice of the psalmist changes his tune to one that recognizes and praises God.

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.

I cried aloud to the Lord,  and he answered me from his holy hill.  (Psalm 3:3)

In these coronavirus days, we don’t have human enemies but emotional foes. Fear, anxiety, the unknown looms before us. Just as for the psalmist, God’s shield for us is spiritual.  The “shield” around is not a magic bubble of physical protection, but the very nature of God’s being and the reason for our own.

Trusting in him does not mean there will be no trials in our own lives. It means with him always and everywhere present in them, we have every reason to look towards him and not fear. He is glorious, the reason to lift our heads and look toward him in trust. He sustains us (v. 5), we will not be afraid (v. 6).

When a believer gazes too long at his enemies, the force arrayed against him seems to grow until it appears to be overwhelming. But when he turns his thoughts to God, God is seen in his true, great stature, and the enemies shrink to a manageable size.

And may the Lord be with you.

Or if you were born in Texas (as I was),

“May the Lord be with y’all.”

Pastor Patrick

Rev. Patrick Lanaghan

Timber Ridge Presbyterian Church

166 Timber Ridge Road

Lexington, Virginia 24450

Pastortimberridge@gmail.com

540-247-5702