Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Greetings in Christ!

            This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Let us rejoice in spring having arrived this week, and let us be glad for the promise of what is to come over the course of the next several weeks!  While the weather pattern hasn’t completely switched over to the new season, there are signs of change making themselves evident as the piles of snow gradually melt away. We know better than to think that we’re done with snow and cold temperatures just yet, but we also know that soon enough the trees will be in bud and our attention will be focused on gardens and lawns!

            We also know that soon enough, we will join together in shouts of “Hosanna, He is Risen!” as we celebrate Easter Day along with Christians everywhere around the world.  In just over two weeks, the great day will dawn, and all things will be made new. Are we going to be ready?  We’ve been working our way through the Season of Lent for some 25 days now (remembering that Sundays “in” Lent don’t count as days “of” Lent), being intentional about nurturing our relationship with the Divine, and hopefully growing closer to God.  We hope that these days, and those yet to come, have given you the time and space to set aside worldly cares and to focus on spiritual matters.  If you’ve found this harder to do than you might like, please don’t fret; there’s still time in Lent, and beyond, to commit some time each and every day to conversing with the Triune God.  Trust us, you’ll find it to be time well-spent, transformative, and enriching!  Always remember that God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good!

Blessings,

Karen and Greg

Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell:  (734) 502-5969
revgregrc@yahoo.com  /  revgreggl@yahoo.com 
revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com

So that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:7

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Greetings in Christ!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Let us rejoice in bright sunshine, and let us be glad for sunglasses!! The sky is so clear, and the sun so bright, that it’s almost blinding as we look out over the snow-covered landscape, and dream of warmer days yet to come. Let us also rejoice and be glad that the switch from Standard Time to Daylight Savings Time is behind us (maybe for the last time, if Federal legislation goes forward?).

On this Idus Martiae (the Ides of March), the 74th day of the Roman calendar, debts come due and, unfortunately for Julius Caesar in 44 BC, political scores were settled. Let us hope that on the Ides of March in 2023, none of us will be subjected to either debt collectors or vengeance-seeking politicians! Instead, let us celebrate this glorious day as the religious holiday that is was intended to be, and give thanks to Almighty God for the blessings we enjoy, as we continue our journey through Lent. We’re at the halfway point in preparing the Way of the Lord in our hearts and souls, so today is a good day to take stock of how we’re doing. With all respect, it’s unlikely that each of us has been laser-focused on spiritual growth and drawing closer to God – to be sure, your pastors’ have fallen short of the goal. But effort counts for a lot when it comes to Lenten disciplines, so if your heart is in the right place, and you don’t give up on trying to be fully prepared for Easter morning, you’re going to be just fine. Start each day in prayer, asking God for strength and guidance, and inviting Jesus to walk with you, and you’ll be sure to arrive at the empty tomb ready to greet your Risen Lord!

Blessings,

Karen and Greg

Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell: (734) 502-5969 revgregrc@yahoo.com / revgreggl@yahoo.com revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com

Though all the peoples walk, each in the name of his god, As for us, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever. Micah 4:5

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

Greetings in Christ!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Let us rejoice in another day of bright sunshine and gentle breezes, and let us be glad for the foretaste of what will be ours to enjoy as winter transitions to spring.  Warmer (relatively) temperatures during the day are giving us a gradual melting of the snow cover, while colder nights are preserving the brightness of pristine snow so that we awaken to glorious vistas.  Of course, we all know better than to think that there isn’t more snow in our futures, but isn’t it nice to enjoy a non-dramatic shift of seasons?  At least so far, that is…

Let us continue to rejoice in the holy Season of Lent; this blessed time of preparation and reflection. We hope that each of you has found a way to focus your attention on your relationship with the Triune God.  Few things in life are as rewarding as deepening our faith, and these days of Lent are so valuable in our quest to know God better, and to know ourselves better.  If you haven’t yet found the perfect way to “clear the decks” of the daily clutter of life so that you’re free to be with God in an intentional way, be glad that there are still 24 days left in Lent to reach the goal!  Please don’t miss out on this God-given opportunity to come closer to him; the Almighty is reaching out to you every minute of every day.  Don’t turn away from his love, wisdom, strength, and peace. 

Blessings,

Karen and Greg

Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell:  (734) 502-5969
revgregrc@yahoo.com  /  revgreggl@yahoo.com 
revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. Psalm 145:18

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Blessings to you!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Let us rejoice in bright sunshine, a bit of blue sky, and moderate temperatures, and let us be glad that God’s ultimate ice-melter, the Sun, is clearing away most of the residual patches of slipperiness from our roads and driveways!  Let’s not get lulled into a sense of complacency about this; it’s still winter, we’re still Up North, and no way is winter done with us.  But, let us rejoice and be glad!

Let us rejoice and be glad for the blessings of Lent, the time and space to focus our energy on spiritual matters.  Let us rejoice and be glad for Scripture, devotionals, podcasts, and fellow Christians that can help guide us through the 40 days of the season.  And let us rejoice and be glad for the limitless love of God, who is calling us into his presence so that we may be blessed with all manner of good things!  It’s hard to believe that this Lenten Season is the eighth one we’ve shared with you, and each of them has been a delight to us, but something feels just a bit different about this year; maybe it does for you, as well?  There’s a sense of calm, in spite of all that’s going on in the world, a feeling that something is in the process of changing; to borrow from the musical “West Side Story,” somethings’ coming, something good, if we can wait.  We know that Easter is coming, which is most certainly something good, but we can’t shake the feeling that this Lent is unique.  We look forward to exploring this season with you, and to sharing our experiences, as we trek boldly towards Easter.  And let’s never forget that God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good!!

Blessings,

Karen and Greg

Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell:  (734) 502-5969
revgregrc@yahoo.com  /  revgreggl@yahoo.com 
revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Blessings to you!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Let us rejoice in the beginning of the Season of Lent, and let us be glad for the advanced warnings of a potentially severe winter storm, so that we can make preparations to safely and effectively respond to what might be a heavy dumping of snow and lots of wind.  We all knew that winter was far from over, in spite of the relative mildness of the past week or so; your pastors would have preferred to have had winter’s return hold off for a day or two, so that we could adjust to post-vacation life, but it is what it is, and hey, we live in Northern Michigan!  We shouldn’t be surprised!

Though the weather outside might be turning frightful as today progresses, we know for certain that this Wednesday is unique among all other Wednesdays; it’s Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the holy Season of Lent.  These 40 days are among the most special ones of each year, because they give us the time and space to be intentional about our faith; freed from as many of the distractions of daily life as possible, Lent allows us to focus on that which truly matters – our relationship with the Triune God in all three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We invite you to join us, and believers all around the world, in making every effort to celebrate this holy season by praying, worshipping, studying, and reflecting on the goodness of God, and on how each of us can strengthen the bond between ourselves and the Divine.

Karen and Greg

Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell:  (734) 502-5969
revgregrc@yahoo.com  /  revgreggl@yahoo.com 
revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Reaching Out from

Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Greetings in Christ!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Let us rejoice in cloudless blue skies and bright sunshine, and let us be glad that much of the ice left on the roads and sidewalks is melting away under God’s ice-melter (the Sun)!!  We all need to be careful while we’re out walking or driving, but isn’t it amazing how quickly conditions change when the Sun pops out, and brightens our world?

And isn’t it amazing how quickly conditions change when we invite the Son to walk with us?  No matter what challenges might confront us on any given day, if we choose to walk side-by-side with Jesus Christ, we can be absolutely confident that we’ll get through it; and we’ll be able to look back at whatever it was that we dealt with and give thanks to God for the gift of his Son, because we were guided and strengthened and supported in our time of distress.  And no matter what joys and delights might come our way on any given day, if we choose to walk side-by-side with Jesus Christ, we can be absolutely confident that our joy will be more complete and our delight more intense, because we’ve shared our good news with the One who blessed us with it.  So, on this gloriously sunny day in Northern Michigan, can anybody come up with a good reason to not ask Jesus to join in our travels?  We’ll be waiting for those reasons… Remember, God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good!

FYI, your pastors will be away until February 20th with limited access to email, and no cell phone coverage; we’ll be holding all of you in our prayers while we’re away and look forward to being together again in time for Ash Wednesday services.

Blessings to you!

Karen and Greg

Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell:  (734) 502-5969
revgregrc@yahoo.com  /  revgreggl@yahoo.com 
revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Greetings in Christ!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Let us rejoice in the bright sunshine that greets us this morning (as it did yesterday!), and let us be glad for the shimmering snow that covers the ground and presents us with a magnificent vista on this first day of February. And let us rejoice with our brothers and sisters who enjoy skiing and snowshoeing and snowmobiling, for they are glad for enough snow to indulge their wintertime recreation! It seems as if we’re finally having winter, with crisp, cold air and snow on the ground. While we’re celebrating the joys of the season, let’s keep in mind and prayer those hard-working folks who drive the snowplows that keep our roadways clear and safe; and let’s be mindful of how difficult it can be to drive one of those big rigs, and give them a wide berth.

On the first day of a new month, a fresh start is ours to claim. We’re now a month removed from Christmas and New Year’s, and our eyes are set on Groundhog Day and the upcoming Season of Lent. But something else should be on our planning calendars; FUN!! More specifically, recreation. It’s so easy to get caught up in the endless litany of things to do, to get wrapped up in list after list of tasks and activities that dominate our lives; not too many of us are intentional about putting recreation on those lists, and we should be. Do you remember the old saying “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?” And not to be sexist, “all work and no play makes Jane a dull girl?” There’s a great deal of wisdom in those simple words – we all need to step away from duties and tasks, so that we can be refreshed and strengthened for what is to come next. Even God rested after the work of Creation was finished, so who are we to never take a break? So we urge you to be intentional about adding recreation to your “to do” list, however you define “recreation.” It could be a walk in the snowy woods, an exhilarating run down a ski hill, or a day spent wandering around someplace you haven’t been before, or curling up with a good book or a favorite movie; maybe even a trip to somewhere warm! The point is that each of us needs a bit of break, in each and every day, to let our minds wander and our bodies recover. There’s nothing at all dishonorable or lazy about play, but if that word troubles you, then replace it with RECREATION! And follow the lead of Almighty God, and give yourself a break!!

Blessings to you!

Karen and Greg

Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell: (734) 502-5969 revgregrc@yahoo.com / revgreggl@yahoo.com revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com

And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while,” for there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. Mark 6:31

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Greetings in Christ!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Let us rejoice in those hard-working men and women who keep our roadways clear and safe, and let us be glad that we’re not in the Downstate area today where 4 to 6 inches of snow are called for – and where schools, churches, and businesses have announced closings in advance of the snowfall. Not to come across as elitist, but 6″ of snow is just a nice dusting for those of us happily living Up North!!

Isn’t it interesting how we respond to an event like a predicted snowstorm very differently, depending on our life histories or where we live? For those of us who are life-long Michiganians, snow is a normal part of winter and we adjust and adapt to it without skipping a beat. For those who grew up, or lived in, the southern regions of our nation, even a 1/4″ of snow can be almost paralyzing. Northern Michigan doesn’t get excited about 6″ of snow, while Metropolitan Detroit can be brought to a complete standstill by the same amount of snow. For people of faith, weather events or tragic events on the world stage don’t phase us; we stop to pray, trusting in God to see us (and the world) through whatever it is that has happened, understanding that we may well have roles to play in bringing about a safe and honorable resolution. One of the most common questions we get is “how do you deal with all the tragedy and pain that people bring to you?” Our response is always “our faith and trust in God.” Believers aren’t exempt from facing tragedy and pain, as we all know; but believers are uniquely equipped to handle whatever comes our way, because we can do all things through him who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13). Whether it’s a snowstorm, the loss of a loved one, financial concerns, or simply having a rough day, there’s nothing that we can’t handle, because we walk in faith and trust. God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good!

Blessings to you!

Karen and Greg

Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell: (734) 502-5969 revgregrc@yahoo.com / revgreggl@yahoo.com revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; Ephesians 2:8

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Greetings in Christ!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! As we write this message, the skies are cloudy and gray, it’s kinda’ snowy and cold, and the forecast is for colder temperatures and more than a little snow. It’s winter in Northern Michigan, so let us rejoice that the season is progressing as we expect it to, and let us be glad for warm homes, fireplaces, and hot cocoa (with or without “adult reinforcement)!!

Let us also rejoice and be glad for the generosity of so very many people in our area, and around the world, who give so freely of their time, talent, and treasure in support of worthy causes, and in support of one another. Which means that we rejoice and are glad for all of you who are reading these words! While you may not think yourself to be particularly generous, each of you gives in ways large and small to those you know and love, and to those you’ve never met; you simply need to take stock of how you use your gifts. We urge you to not fall into the trap of comparing your giving to what you perceive others are doing; there are people who are able to give huge sums of money, but aren’t able (or willing) to give much of their time. Just as there are people who haven’t a dime to spare, but spend time helping others. And there are people right in between, and maybe that’s you. The point is, we’ve all been blessed in myriad ways by a loving God, and our Christian faith calls us to be a blessing to other. And in so doing, we are blessed once again. To quote St. Francis, “for it is in giving that we receive,” so let us resolve to keep on being generous in whatever ways we can. Amen, and amen.

Blessings to you!

Karen and Greg

Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell: (734) 502-5969 revgregrc@yahoo.com / revgreggl@yahoo.com revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:3

Reaching Out from                                       

Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Greetings in Christ!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Let us rejoice in fairly mild temperatures for another day or two, and let us be glad that (so far) winter hasn’t been too harsh – unless you enjoy skiing or snowmobiling or snowshoeing.  If that’s the case, we sympathize with your frustration over the lack of snow on the ground; our feeling is that if it’s going to be winter, let it be wintery!!  Let us also rejoice and be glad for a bit of a respite between the Season of Christmas and the Season of Lent, so that we can finish putting away the Christmas decorations before we start to think about preparing for Easter.

These few weeks before Ash Wednesday are a rare gift in our go-go world; a time of rest.  Almost everyone needs a break, a period of time during which our only task is to live, without the pressures of planning and preparing for the next “big thing” in our lives.  Think of these days as a kind of extended Sabbath rest, when we can enjoy the company of loved ones, relax with a good book or favorite movie, maybe do a bit of traveling.  Think about the words from Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God,” and allow yourself to be enveloped into the love of the Almighty.  Of course, you can do this any day of the week, at any time, but how many of us actually make ourselves stop long enough to be still?  Consider taking advantage of the next few weeks to put down the remote control, don’t look at your “to do” list, and simply be for a while.  You might be surprised at how rejuvenating a few minutes of stillness can be; who knows, you might find yourself craving a bit of stillness every day!                    

Blessings to you!

Karen and Greg

Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell:  (734) 502-5969
revgregrc@yahoo.com  /  revgreggl@yahoo.com 
revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you,
and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14