Dear Church Family,

 

The events of 2020 have in many ways took us all by surprise. No one expected a virus to interrupt our lives in such a dramatic way. However, I know this sounds crazy….but, this is nothing new. We tend to forget that our world has faced many events that have disrupted lives on a major scale. This may be the first pandemic in our lifetime but it is certainly not the first time our lives have been forced to change from what we think is normal, nor will it be the last.

 

The good news is, the events of the past year have given us a chance to make some much needed changes in our lives.  Changes, like it or not, are a necessary part of life. I believe that God has been working through this pandemic to show us that we need to change the way we are living and return to what is true and enduring. We have been given the chance to put God first and to make him the main priority of our lives.

 

One change that can help us do that in 2021 is to begin keeping the Sabbath. When God led his people out of bondage in Egypt, he gave them instructions on living a life that honors him. He made keeping the Sabbath a priority and told his people to honor him by making this a day set apart for God.  The people were reminded that God rested on the Sabbath and that God created the Sabbath for us to rest from our daily routine and worship him. This will help us change our habits on Sunday and encourage us to spend time with God. To do this we must recognize that Sunday is a special day. It’s the day that God’s people gather for worship. Coming to worship God with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving is our way of honoring Him. Then on Sunday evening we must set aside a special time for devotion and prayer. If you live with others you should share this special time with them. There are many different ways to incorporate a Sunday evening prayer time, and everyone’s will be different. The important thing is to make the change and do it! We must be intentional about keeping the Sabbath.

 

On Sunday January 3, 2021 everyone will receive a Keeping the Sabbath resource. It will help you plan an evening prayer time so that you and your family can spend time in praise and worship. It is time to make the change by keeping God’s command. If we honor God by keeping the Sabbath our relationship with Him will be deeper and more meaningful. That’s a change we all need to make. Happy New Year!

 

The Best is Yet to Come!

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Jeff Taylor