Author: laurieagould

Pastor’s Message

~ laurieagould ~ Leave a comment

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Greetings in Christ!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Let us rejoice in (mostly) clear roads, sidewalks, and parking lots, and let us be glad for the brief respite from winter that we’re enjoying! As the month of February comes to a close, we would be wise to remember that it’s still winter and we still live Up North, so any inclinations to start thinking about spring clean-up are just a tad premature!

What isn’t premature is the arrival of the Season of Lent one week from today. We will gather in worship for a simple and solemn service, during which ashes will be imposed on foreheads or the back of hands as a reminder that “from dust you came, to dust you shall return.” We sincerely hope to see you at this very meaningful service, because it sets the tone for the observance of a Holy Lent. The ashes serve as a visual reminder of both our creation and our passing; they prepare us to approach the throne of grace in humility and penitence, not as a symbol of punishment, but as a symbol of hope. While we often think of Lent as a dark time, a somber time; it is also a time to focus on the joy that is to come. Each of us has work to do during the Lenten season, but it is work that will reward us in the end with a glorious celebration of the Resurrection of Our 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

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:12

Pastor’s Message

~ laurieagould ~ Leave a comment

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Greetings in Christ!

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Let us rejoice in a respite from heavy snowfall (for at least a little while), and let us again be glad for the hardworking crews across the county who face off against dangerous conditions to clear the roads for us. It was certainly a tough call to cancel worship last Sunday, but keeping everyone safe is our highest priority. Hopefully we won’t have to miss worship again this winter! According to the meteorologists (and a groundhog or two!), we still have four weeks of winter to go, so we must be patient, but also hopeful; we know spring is coming!

As Presque Isle County slowly digs out from under the snow, and as we let our minds wander a bit to the change of seasons to come, we will be well-served to think about comfort; not necessarily comfort in the sense of warm homes and cozy sweaters, but the comfort of God’s presence in our lives. He’s been with us through the storms, he’s been with us as we’ve traveled, and he’s with us as we go through every day. God’s comfort can take the form of a warm feeling washing over us when we’re frightened, or it can take the form of a friendly wave from a passer-by, or it can look a lot like a snowplow cruising past our house. We can relax into God’s comfort wherever we are and whenever we need to feel reassured. As we read in Isaiah 40:1, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” All is well, for God is close by.

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

O may Your lovingkindness comfort me, According to Your word to Your servant. Psalm 119:76

Pastor’s Message

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Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

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 pristine blanket of snow covering the ground, and let us be glad for the hard-working men and women who move that pristine snow off the roads! Winter Up North is at times breathtakingly beautiful, but getting around can at times be challenging, so all of us owe a debt of gratitude to those who clean up after a snowfall, even if that’s a member of our own households!

This week’s communication will be a bit different than you’ve become accustomed to. During the pandemic, we sent a daily message of hope and encouragement, along with some things we thought might be helpful during those long locked down days. When we were able to be out and about a little more, we transitioned to a weekly note very similar to what we had been sending out daily, and added a current prayer list. Starting with this week’s email, the “Midweek Update” will consist of words that we hope will be inspiring and thought-provoking, and a list of prayer joys and concerns. We welcome your feedback on the Midweek Update; is it too much, too little, or just about right. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Soon we will be entering into the Season of Lent as we observe Ash Wednesday on March 5th; but right now, we’re very much in an in-between time, a time perfectly suited for reflection and study. As we look out on the snowy landscape while nestled into our favorite chair, maybe with a blanket and a mug of something hot to sip on too, we are able to let our minds wander and consider the thoughts and ideas that come our way. And then we can approach our God in prayer to get his thoughts on what has come to us; are there actions we are to take, are there actions we are to avoid, are there things that we should dig into more deeply? The quiet times are when we can best focus on listening; and if we can be patient, we’ll begin to hear incredible things, things that can change our lives forever. Take full advantage of these quieter days. Be still and listen. And when the time comes, get up out of that comfy chair and act on what you’ve heard. If you’ve been listening carefully, you will have been blessed to have heard the voice of God falling gently on your ear. And you will know 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


For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. Psalm 62:5-6

Pastor’s Message

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Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

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 weather forecaster’s telling us that the extremely low temperatures will be ending today, and let us be glad for the warmth of our homes that have kept us comfortable during the cold snap. Let us further rejoice in those men and women who maintain our heating systems, and let us be glad for their skills and dedication to their craft. While we’re more-or-less equipped to deal with winter weather, no matter how extreme it may be; we hold our friends in Southern states in prayer who are not so fortunate, as several inches of snow were reported in New Orleans and Orlando. If you have the latitude to stay inside today, we encourage you to grab a hot drink and a cozy blanket and watch the snow globe-like conditions make magic. And as you stay warm and dry, say a prayer for the hard-working road crews doing their best to make travel safe for all.

We’d like to offer a humble suggestion for your “snuggly” time today; be intentionally thankful. Lots of truly incredible things have happened in the past few days that are worthy of thankfulness. The United States witnessed a peaceful transfer of power from one presidential administration to the next, and hostages were released in the Middle East and a cease-fire took hold. Children were born, life-saving medical procedures were successfully complete, marriages were celebrated, new relationships began; lives well-lived were celebrated, even though hearts were heavy with grief. We have a choice every day as to how we will approach what lies ahead – we can be fearful and tentative, or we can be thankful and bold. Our faith calls us to thankfulness and boldness, trusting that we walk with Christ every step of the way. So let’s be thankful as we snuggle in, or as we venture out. Give thanks!!

With our love,

Karen and Greg

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


I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

Pastor’s Message

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Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

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 days getting steadily longer, and let us be glad for the pristine beauty of newly fallen snow that surrounds us during this season. Your pastors are both dealing with the “crud,” so we’re writing this week’s message from home; neither of us can remember feeling quite this lousy, and we know some of you, our beloved church families, are dealing with it as well. Perhaps we should be glad for warm drinks, cozy blankets, and the love of Toby the Church Dog as he goes back-and-forth between us to bring comfort!

We are now into the season of the church year known as “Ordinary Time.” We’ve talked about this over the years, but it’s worth repeating that there’s nothing “ordinary” about Ordinary Time! All it means is that there aren’t any feast days or special observances until we get to the Season of Lent in early March. This quieter time of the church year is when our focus is on living the lives we are called to as Christians; focusing on being kind, loving, generous, and compassionate people, even if the world around us isn’t too keen on these things. Our way of being can, and will, change this world for the better; so let us embrace our calls to be different! And let us hold our brothers and sisters in California, and everywhere around the world where there is strife, in ardent prayer. Let us seek ways to contribute to relief efforts as we are able. And let us trust that our prayers will be heard and our efforts will be successful!

With our love,

Karen and Greg

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

Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and
will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13

Pastor’s Message

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Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, January 8, 2025


Greetings in Christ!
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Let us rejoice in a new year and all the
opportunities it presents, and let us be glad for the happy memories of the Christmas season that has just come to an
end. It may take a while for it to sink in, but we’re in the Year of Our Lord 2025, and it promises to be a year full of
personal and spiritual growth, adventures, and probably a few surprises. We look forward to sharing the year to come
with all of you!
This coming Sunday will be the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, a truly significant day in the life of our Lord and
Savior, and a truly significant day in our own lives as well as we remember our own baptisms. For many of us, who were
baptized as infants or young children, we most likely don’t have very clear memories of our baptisms, but we certainly
have heard the stories and seen the photographs of that great day. And we have known the joy and confidence that
being baptized into the protection and love of the Body of Christ has given us. It’s fitting to start the new year with a
reminder of our baptisms, and it’s fitting to renew our commitment to living into the hope and promise that having been
baptized represents. Let us join together in celebrating the Baptism of the Lord, and let us join together in remembering
and honoring our own baptisms, and the vows made on our behalf when we were sealed into the protection of Christ’s
church. And let us also remember that God is good, all the time; and all the time, God is good! Here’s wishing each and
every one of you a grand and glorious 2025!
With our love,
Karen and Greg
Home: (989) 474-9116, Cell: (734) 502-5969
revgregrc@yahoo.com / revgreggl@yahoo.com
revkarenrc@yahoo.com / revkarengl@yahoo.com

I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who
believes in Me will not remain in darkness. John 12:46

Pastor’s Message

~ laurieagould ~ Leave a comment

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

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 last days of the Season of Advent, and let us be glad for Christmas Day being only one week from today! The season of Advent blessed us with the gift of time, time to prepare for the coming birth of the Christ Child, and of course Christmas Day will bless us with the gift of the Light of World!

We’re close enough to the end of the Season of Advent that Merry Christmas is the greeting of the day, and we hope the sentiment in all of our hearts. One week from today, the world will become brighter and filled with love, joy, peace, and hope; the circle of the Advent wreath will be complete, with the Christ candle burning brightly at its center for all to see. One week from today, voices will be raised in song, as beloved carols will fill the air. One week from today, families and friends will gather to celebrate the true reason for the season. One week from today, all the planning and preparation will be behind us, and our efforts will be rewarded with faces glowing with the presence of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that visited Mary, the same Spirit that guides our steps (if we’re willing to follow). As the popular song says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year, and so let us embrace this last week of Advent and the first days of the Christmas Season with wonder and amazement, and a whole lot of love and joy!

We wish each of you a Merry Christmas!

With our love,

Karen and Greg

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


And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling
cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:7

Pastor’s Message

~ laurieagould ~ Leave a comment

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

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 second week of the Season of Advent, and let us be glad the Christmas Day is only two weeks away! Or, let us panic because Christmas Day is only two weeks away, depending on how ready you are (or aren’t) to celebrate the birth of the Light of the World, Jesus the Christ.

We talked quite a bit about preparation last week, and of course the good news of today is that we have more time to become fully ready for Christmas Day. If you’re bordering on full panic mode, we encourage you to take a deep breath, and take a look at where you truly are in your preparations; odds are that there’s a lot more done than you might give yourself credit for. If you’re blissfully content with the state of things, we encourage you to take a deep breath, and be happy! But the truth is that none of us are likely fully prepared, because we haven’t fully invested in making our hearts and souls ready. Oh, sure, we’ve been attending worship regularly, we’ve kept our daily prayers going, and we simply can’t avoid the feeling of the Christmas Season that’s all around us. All of this is great and wonderful, but now is the time to sit down with our Bibles and turn to the beginning of the Gospel according to Matthew or the Gospel according to Luke (or maybe both, just don’t get hung up in the differences between the two tellings of the birth of Christ!), and read the story of how Jesus came into the world, to bring Light and Life and Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love into our lives for all time. Savor the story, and be reminded of how it all began. We’re confident that you’ll be filled with good things. 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 peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Pastor’s Message

~ laurieagould ~ Leave a comment

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

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 anticipation that is inherent in the Advent season, and let us be glad that we have time to make sure all of our plans are in place for our Christmas celebrations! As much as we’d like to proclaim “Merry Christmas” right now, and be about the business of joyously proclaiming the Savior’s birth, we can’t; we’ve got some prep work to do!

That prep work isn’t limited to seeking the perfect gift for everyone on our list, or making sure that our homes are perfectly decorated with a mix of the latest technology and much-loved heirlooms of the season. The most important (and toughest) prep work is making our hearts and souls ready for Christmas Day, the day that Light will come into the world and make all things new. For those of us who have been around for a few Christmases past, it might be easy to fall prey to thinking that we’ve done this so many times before, so what’s left to get ready? We understand the significance of Christmas, we know how the stories unfold, we have proclaimed our love for God and adoration of the Christ Child, so can’t we please get on with hanging tinsel on the tree and baking more cookies? Well, you can if you wish, but in our experience if we don’t intentionally focus on the “reason for the season,” to borrow an overworked cliché, we’ll lose the “reason for the season” amongst the scraps of wrapping paper and unwashed baking pans. Advent and Christmas are holy times, and if our focus isn’t on the activities of the Divine in our lives, then we’re truly missing the point. So, please enjoy the shopping and baking and decorating that help make the season bright, but please also remember that the birth of Christ is why we celebrate.

Blessings,

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

“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Pastor’s Message

~ laurieagould ~ Leave a comment

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, November 20, 2024


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 anticipation of the upcoming holiday season, and let us be glad that we still have time to get ready! Let us rejoice as travel arrangements are finalized, and shopping lists are coming together. Let us be glad that seasonal decorations are coming out of storage, and let us be glad for the delight that we feel as our homes are transformed. While we’re not quite into “the best time of the year,” to borrow from a favorite holiday song, we’re getting close.

Anticipation is a unique feeling, isn’t it? Some of us tingle with joy as we think about what is just over the horizon, others grumble, and still others panic. The funny thing is, we can’t do anything to make time move at a different pace; we can’t speed things up so that the holidays get here sooner (for some), or slow things down so that everything can be “just so” when they arrive (for some). As we read in Ecclesiastes 3:1; there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. And that includes holiday preparations; which also includes spiritual preparations, or it should. It’s easy to get caught up in the pre-season whirlwind, so caught up that we don’t remember why we’re getting ready. So consider this a gentle reminder from your friendly neighborhood pastors; take time to pray as you prepare; take time to be still amidst the rush; and take time to be thankful for what you have received and what you will receive in the future. Make the holidays truly holy.

Blessings,

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

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17