Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

He is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!  Let us rejoice in our ongoing celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, and let us be glad that we are blessed with three more weeks to contemplate and embrace what that life-altering event means to each one of us!  Certainly, it means that our sins have been washed away and that we have received eternal life in Paradise with our Lord, but is there more?

Of course there is!  There’s hope, joy, and confidence; there’s freedom from worry and fear, and there’s the assurance that we’re never alone.  Jesus walks with us every day, even if we don’t always acknowledge his presence.  Beyond all these things, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and therefore equipped to be kind, compassionate, forgiving, and loving; we are different people because Christ is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!

As we write this message, the skies are overcast and the air is cool.  But our hearts are full of joy and love, because eight years ago today we led worship with you for the first time as candidates; and then, on our drive back Downstate our cell phones rang and we were told that the congregations of both churches had voted to call us to become a part of your faith communities!  Our lives changed for the better on that grand day, and they continue to get better every day that we share with you in this beautiful and inspiring corner of God’s good Creation.  We will be forever thankful and grateful for your invitation to us.  And we are reminded 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

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; Colossians 2:6

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Greetings in Christ!

He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!! On this day that the Lord has given us to enjoy, let us rejoice and be glad for a bit of a respite from the rainy/snowy weather of the past few days. And let us rejoice and be glad that we’re moving ever-closer to warmer days. We see folks out working in their yards, riding bicycles, and beginning to get summer toys in shape for the season to come, so there is hope all around us! Indeed, let us rejoice and be glad!!

You know, hope is in seemingly short supply these days, with news of war in far-flung places, a faltering economy here at home, and relentless stories of unrest in cities around the country; the drumbeat of negativity is almost unbearable, but there’s no reason for despair, because He is Risen! That incredible good news should wipe away all our fears, and fill us with boundless hope for the day and for all the days to follow. We know, it’s hard to not let the bad news grind us down, but think about it for a minute; what do you gain by worry and fear? As Jesus says in Matthew 6:27 “And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” The broader context of this passage is that as God cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, he will care for you as well. And if that’s not enough good news to fill you with hope, you can always consider what we sometimes tell our daughter when she’s hit a bumpy spot in the road of life – at least they’re not going to eat you…. Always remember that God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good.

God bless you!

Karen and Greg

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

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Greetings in Christ!

He is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!!  We certainly hope you all enjoyed our very brief summer last week, and that you’ve been able to find your winter coats, boots, hats, and mittens as it appears that we’re going to be experiencing a stretch of cooler weather (complete with snow flurries!!) for a little while longer.  Rest assured that spring and summer will eventually arrive; let us hope we don’t have to wait until 2024….

We don’t have to wait a second to celebrate the wonders of today, because Christ is Risen!!  Ten days after Easter Sunday, he’s still risen; and we should still be joyful and confident that no matter what difficulties we’re facing, we’ll get through them.  Now, let’s be frank; the road ahead might be bumpy, and we may have to make a few adjustments to the path we have in mind in order to get around the obstacles in our way, but we can trust that we’re going to come out at the other end of the road.  As long as we make the course corrections given to us by our loving God and are willing to let our Risen Lord and Savior rest his hands on ours when we turn the steering wheel of life, we’ll arrive safely at our next destination.  The trick is to let go and let God be God, and to let Jesus be Jesus, and to have absolute trust in the Divine presence that indwells each of us.  Hard to do, we know, but absolutely essential.  Maybe it will be easier if we can all remember that God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good.

God bless you!

Karen and Greg

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

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Christ is Risen!!

He is Risen, Indeed!  Warm and sunny greetings on this first Wednesday in the Season of Easter!  We are so blessed to be enjoying a glorious spring day; it’s hard not to be joyful on a day like this, when the air is filled with the sweet aromas of the season, and flowers are poking their heads up from their winter’s naps and trees are beginning to sport buds.  And the mounds of snow in the parking lots are melting away!  Now, let’s be realistic; it’s too early to put away all the snow-fighting gear, because it’s Northern Michigan and the odds are that we’ll get at least one more snow event before we can declare victory over winter-like weather.  But it’s getting close!!

We delighted in magnificent worship services on Easter Sunday, starting with the Sonrise Service at the Range Light Park in Presque Isle, followed by worship at the Chapel and at Westminster that was filled with wonderful music, enhanced by beautiful flowers, and most importantly celebrated by joy-filled worshippers celebrating the Day of Days!  Now, it’s up to us to keep the joy and praise going, because Easter Sunday is only the beginning!  Through the rest of April and until the end of May, our focus should be on walking with the Risen Christ and strengthening our relationship with him; while we should always be intentional about spending time with Jesus, the Season of Easter gifts us with 50 days without any distractions to celebrate.  So, let us join together in joyful celebration, because Christ is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!!  And because of that irrefutable fact, we are freed from the burden of sin and blessed with eternal life.  What an amazing thing to contemplate, and to rejoice in.

God bless you!

Karen and Greg

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

O magnify the Lord with me,

And let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:3

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Greetings in Christ!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! 

Let us rejoice that we are advancing ever-closer to the great Day of Days, and let us be glad that we still have a few more days (four, to be exact) to make ourselves truly ready for the Day of Resurrection!  On this kinda’ gloomy Wednesday morning, with gray skies and a bit of drizzle following a night of thunderstorms, let us also rejoice in roofs over our heads and let us be glad that what’s falling from the skies doesn’t need to be shoveled!

In a way, it’s fitting that the day before Maundy Thursday is a bit on the overcast side, as we know what the next 24 hours holds; betrayal, arrest, and harsh questioning at the hands of the temple leaders.  At the same time, we know that all the horrible things that are going to happen over the course of the next two days are absolutely essential in order for God’s perfect plan to come to fulfillment.  And so we must be strong in our faith, and steadfast in our trust, that the end result of tomorrow and Good Friday will be the limitless glories of Easter.  So let us not succumb to despair; instead let us keep our focus on what is to come on Easter and beyond, trusting that God’s ways are not our ways.  God’s way is perfect, whether we like all the details or not, because God is good all the time.  And all the time, God is good.

We look forward to sharing Maundy Thursday worship with you, and also to sitting in vigil with you on Good Friday.  Then comes Easter Sunday, when we will raise our voices together in saying “Christ is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!!”

God bless 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 began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed,and after three days rise again. Mark 8:31

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, March 29, 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 melting away of most of the snow from last Saturday’s storm, and let us be glad for today’s sunshine!  This time of the year in Northern Michigan always presents us with a wide range of weather, sometimes all in the same day; and since there’s nothing we can do about it, we might as well delight in the surprises!
            We cannot ignore the tragedy that took place in Nashville, TN, on Monday, at the Covenant School (affiliated with the Covenant Presbyterian Church); the death of three students and three staff members, in addition to the shooter, should cause each of us to stop to reflect on the state of our nation.  We will leave it to the “chattering class” to speculate and pontificate about this event; our concern as people of faith should be about the soul of the nation.  To that end, we invite you to join with us in prayerful discernment about what has changed in our country in recent years, because something clearly has.  Maybe, just maybe, if the faith community puts its collective focus on the problem, a solution will become evident; we know, with absolute certainty, that God is present in the face of this tragedy.  And we also know, with equal certainty, that God will show us the solution; it is up to us to decide whether or not we’re going to listen to what he tells us.
            This coming Sunday, we will celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week.  We all know what will follow; the tragedy and triumph of Christ’s Passion.  In the death and resurrection of Jesus, may we find hope for the future of our nation.

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 you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, Philippians 2:15

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