Author: laurieagould

Pastor’s Message

~ laurieagould ~ Leave a comment

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, August 14, 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 summer Up North, and let us be glad that the season still has a ways to go!  We’ve touched on this in the past, but there’s something truly special about life north of the 45th parallel (which lies just south of Alpena, in case you didn’t know    ).  We’re blessed with an almost unlimited array of things to do and see, and we’re blessed with a beautiful place to do absolutely nothing, if that’s what’s calling to you.

Most importantly, we’re blessed with an amazing community.  Not only in our churches, but all across the region; we’re able to be out and about and not be too worried about our safety.  We’re greeted with a smile and a friendly wave when we meet others, and we’re happy to reciprocate.  We’re blessed to be surrounded by people who genuinely care for one another and for the world around us; people who are willing to help out, people who are generous with their time and resources when a need in the community arises, people who are compassionate and kind.  Sure, there are exceptions to what we’ll call “Up North hospitality,” but they’re hard to come by; our community is composed of a rich blend of natives, transplants, and transients, all of whom bring their very best to the work of the community; some do so with a bit of fanfare, some quietly, others anonymously.  And that’s OK, because no matter how we participate in our treasured Up North community, what matters is that we do indeed participate and celebrate life up here.  Let us honor our community, both the community of faith and the community outside the doors of our churches, for it is in community that we find strength and joy.  As we read in Psalm 133:1; how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.

Blessings,

Karen and Greg

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


How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. Psalm 133:1

Pastor’s Message

~ laurieagould ~ Leave a comment

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, August 7, 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 an absolutely gorgeous Up North day, and let us be glad for the opportunity to enjoy it!  Today is one of those days that almost takes your breath away; a near-perfect blend of clear skies, ideal temperature, and gentle breezes that beg us to get outdoors and soak in the gloriousness!  So let’s do it, shall we???

Thanks be to God for this grand day, but let us remember that each and every day is a gift from God.  Each and every day is full of promise, each and every day affords us the opportunity to learn, serve, and grow.  Each and every day gives us a chance to take care of ourselves and those around us, by treating ourselves gently when we make mistakes, being generous with our kindness towards others, forgiving when necessary and celebrating when possible, and above all else honoring Almighty God who provides all things for our enrichment and joy.  As much as we’d like to put today in a bottle so that we can pour it out on the inevitable rainy day that’s coming our way, that’s not the way this works; we live today fully and joyfully, and remember it for the great experiences we shared.  We should live every day fully and joyfully, and remember them for the great experiences we shared.  You see, it’s not the weather that governs how we receive each new day, it’s our attitude.  Choose joy today, and every day.  Then every day will be remembered for great experiences shared.

Blessings,

Karen and Greg

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


You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11

Pastor’s Message

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Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, July 31, 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 wonders of an Up North summer, and let us be glad that this weekend gives us the opportunity to enjoy the Nautical Festival in Rogers City!  The annual Nautical Festival brings artists, classic cars, carnival rides, and fun food choices to Rogers City for all to enjoy.  Add in the parade on Sunday and strawberry shortcake treats offered by the Deacons at Westminster Presbyterian Church and there’s something for everyone at the Festival!  As an added bonus, if you’re looking for someplace to put your lawn chairs for optimal viewing of the Sunday afternoon parade, the pastors just happen to have lots of space in front of their house on 3rd Street that they’re quite happy to share!

Speaking of sharing, have you ever thought about how central to our faith sharing is?  In Acts 4:32-35, we read of the apostles sharing everything they had equally, having no concern about who owned what.  Now, we’re not suggesting that everybody reading this note get together and put all of our possessions in a giant pole barn somewhere, so that any person can take anything that catches their fancy and use it as they wish; but we are suggesting that some of us could do a better job of practicing charity and sharing generously from the abundance that we’ve been blessed with – your pastors included.  The phrase “sharing is caring” has come into common usage in recent years, and it’s true (if a bit jaded at times); sharing from our abundance, without putting ourselves in a challenging position as a result, is a way of expressing care and concern for those who have need.  We are called to share because God first shared with us, from the first acts of creation through caring for the Hebrews in the wilderness to sharing his Son; so let us give generously and joyfully, for God loves a cheerful giver – and cheerful sharers as well.

Blessings,

Karen and Greg

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


A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25

Pastor’s Message

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Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, July 24, 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 steady, soaking rain overnight and into this morning, and let us be glad for our rejuvenated lawns and gardens!  While it’s not a great day to be outdoors (at least not in the morning as we’re writing this), it’s a great day to enjoy a second mug of coffee or tea and to linger over the newspaper or your favorite TV shows.  As the day progresses, the weather looks to improve a bit, so maybe we’ll all be able to get in a stroll or a bike ride later!

It’s been another tumultuous week in our world, with unexpected changes in the political landscape in the United States, ongoing wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and another season of wildfires that our friends in Western Canada are struggling with.  Thanks be to God that we have a safe place to retreat to, that place being in the presence of the Lord Almighty, so that we can face the storms of life.  The lyrics of the much-loved Rodgers & Hammerstein song “You’ll Never Walk Alone” come to mind when the road gets bumpy; in case you’ve forgotten them, here they are:

When you walk through a storm                         Walk on through the wind
Hold your head up high                                         Walk on through the rain
And don’t be afraid of the dark                            Though your dreams be tossed and blown
At the end of the storm                                         Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart
There’s a golden sky                                               And you’ll never walk alone
And the sweet silver song of a lark                      You’ll never walk alone

Hope.  That’s the key to facing up to life’s challenges, along with joy, peace, and love.  As children of God, hope is ours to claim, so that we can walk on; and never walk on alone.  God is with us, always.

Blessings,

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 in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

Pastor’s Message

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Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Greetings in Christ!

This the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Let us rejoice in gentle breezes and puffy clouds, and let us be glad that the temperatures have moderated a bit! Summertime Up North is such a wonderful, marvelous place; sometimes we take for granted all that we have been blessed with, including where we live and where so many come for rest and relaxation. Our hope and prayer is that everyone reading this message can get out and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us every day.

We can’t ignore recent events, neither are we going to dwell on them; we will only say that we must, must find ways to disagree without being disagreeable. Violence is never an acceptable response to differences of opinion. As has been said many times in recent days, the national temperature has to be dialed down. A lot. There are many passages of Scripture that speak to the subject of conflict, but the bottom line from each of them is that we are to come together and work through our differences with an attitude of kindness and forgiveness; as Jesus says in Luke 6:27 “love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you.” Hopefully there isn’t hatred amongst us to be dealt with, but we are not so naive as to think that there aren’t differences of opinion that can become heated at times; the events of last week should serve as a cautionary tale about how easily “heated” can become “violent.” Let us resolve to come and reason together when we disagree, as Isaiah tells us to do in the beginning of his writings (Isaiah 1:18), and let us resolve to be peacemakers, for then we shall be called children of God.

Blessings,

Karen and Greg

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

Love your enemies, and do good to those who hate you. Luke 6:27

From the desk of

~ laurieagould ~ Leave a comment

Toby the Church dog

Hello dear friends!

I try to be a good boy; I really do. In spite of this, I sometimes hear my name said sharply by my parents. “Toby!” Now when I hear my name, I generally stop what I’m doing and turn my attention to the speaker. It might be you or another of my friends, and I never want to miss out on an interaction with someone special to me. But, when my name is repeated again and again in a tone that I find annoying, I tend to tune it out. Unfortunately, this happens almost daily within my house; and the vocal tone seems to become more strident if I ignore the call to attention.

Sometimes additional words are added to my spoken name. Frequently I hear, “Toby, No bark!” Frankly, this hurts my feelings. It’s not as if I bark just to hear myself talking—well, not often, anyway.  I bark to alert, to warn, to greet, to protect, and for so many other reasons: “I hear a noise, I hear a noise, I hear a noise!”, “Hey you! Get off my sidewalk!”, or “Well hello there, pretty lady!” While I don’t like to brag, I do have quite a nice voice; a pleasing baritone, if you will. As needed I can dip down into a bass range, and I can even sustain my vocalization as needed to make my point! You want to hear a vibrato; I’ve got it too! Yes, I don’t think there is anything wrong with my voice; certainly not something that should cause someone (my parents!) to “shush” me. 

In fact, I do try to be mindful of my surroundings and to adopt a demeanor of dignified reserve when called for. Mom and Dad are often complimenting me on how well I get into a zone of rest and reflection when I bring them to my office and monitor their work. I find that they are easily distracted, and I work to set a good example.

While it may look to the outside world as if I am merely sleeping, this could not be farther from the truth! I believe time with God is so important; and it cannot always be about my requests, my concerns, and my worries handed to God —sometimes I need to listen. And that is what I’ve decided to do! I quiet myself and wait to hear (or feel) what God wishes to share with me.  This I know; God always has something important to share with us!

Nothing can ever quiet me in proclaiming my care for you, dear friends! Know that you are loved by me.

Your church dog,
ToBY

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

Psalm 62:5

Pastor’s Message

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Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, July 10, 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 joys of summer Up North, and let us be glad for a bit of life-giving rain to freshen our yards and gardens, before the promised sunshine and warmth of the weekend!  After a somewhat chaotic start to the season, weather-wise, it’s nice to see things settling into a more comfortable pattern, so that we can get outdoors and enjoy the blessings of Creation!

It’s hard to believe that we’re at what some consider the midpoint of summer, now that Canada Day and the Fourth of July are behind us!  We just heard an ad on the radio for a back-to-school sale, for Pete’s sake; let’s not fall into the trap of pushing the season along faster than it needs to go.  Instead, let’s revel in these days before the inevitable return of cooler weather and the busyness that always seems to come with it.  Let’s take advantage of opportunities to follow Jesus’ example, and go off by ourselves to a quiet place to pray; that quiet place being a beach or a shady spot under a tree or a comfortable chair on our front porch.  Summertime is a wonderful time to set the cares of everyday life aside and talk with God; and more importantly, to listen to God. Somehow it often seems easier to listen when the breeze is gentle and warm and the birds are singing in the background.  Join us in embracing this glorious time of the year, when the livin’ is easy and time feels like it’s moving a bit slower; God awaits our conversations!

Blessings,

Karen and Greg

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

And in the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and prayed there for a time.  Mark 1:35

Pastor’s Message

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Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, July 3, 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 an ever-brightening day, and let us be glad for the Fourth of July holiday that is just hours away!  The Fourth of July is such an important day in the history of the United States, with the Declaration of Independence having been signed 248 years ago tomorrow; it’s sad that we sometimes lose sight of what the fireworks and picnics are all about.  Yes, it’s about the birth of a new nation, but it’s also about the deep-seated human quest for freedom, respect, and self-determination.  As the United States gears up to celebrate, let’s not forget that our Canadian brothers and sisters are celebrating as well; Canada Day was on July 1st, celebrating the Canadian Confederation, drawing former British colonies together into a dominion known as Canada.

Both of these holidays are central to the identities of two great nations, and brings to mind the true meaning of “holiday;” holy day.  Not merely a day off from work, these national celebrations are sacred observations of the beginning of new ways of being a country.  Much has changed over the centuries since the United States and Canada were established, but the fact remains that both countries value freedom; as does our God.  In the Letter to the Romans, we read that we are set free from sin and death through Jesus Christ.  God freed the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, and in the Letter to the Galatians we are reminded that we are called to be free, but that we should not use our freedom to indulge our basic instincts; rather we should use our freedom to serve one another in love.  Our freedom is indeed something to celebrate, not only on national holidays but every day, and our freedom is something to be thankful for.  So amidst the fireworks and hot-dogs and parades, let us take a moment to give thanks to God for his great gift of freedom.  And let us not misuse that gift to make mischief or cause harm; let us use it to spread the Good News of God’s love made manifest through Jesus the Christ!

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 if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36

Pastor’s Message

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Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, June 26, 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 a nice, mild, non-rainy, non-windy day to get outside and enjoy, and let us be glad that the weather extremes have left us (for now).  It’s been quite the roller coaster, hasn’t it?  Here’s hoping for more typical early summer weather, so that the delights of Northern Michigan are ours to enjoy!

The weather extremes are an interesting contrast to the constancy of our God, who never wavers in his love for us.  No matter what challenges face us, no matter if we turn our backs on God for a time, no matter if we selfishly act in our own best interests without regard for others, God loves us.  The weather can be rotten, our favorite sports teams can be having a lousy season, we can be struggling with our health; nonetheless, God loves us and cares for us.  God wants only good for us, and is always in our corner offering strength and wisdom and guidance.  Isn’t it nice to be assured that there’s at least one absolutely constant force at work in our lives, and that that constant force loves us so much that he sacrificed his only Son on our behalf?  In return, God wants only that we love him, and that we love our siblings in faith. He knows we won’t love perfectly; he knows that we won’t love consistently; but he knows that he has given each of us a loving heart, so that we have the tools we need to share the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with all people (and with all of Creation as well).

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 he loves us with unfailing love; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the LORD! Psalm 117:2

Pastor’s Message

~ laurieagould ~ Leave a comment

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, June 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 formal arrival of summer, at 4:51 p.m. when the summer solstice takes place, and let us be glad for the promises of the new season!  Even though today started out rainy and cool, we can be assured that there will be many delightful Up North summer days to come!

God says in Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”  What will we do with this new thing, this new season?  At Westminster Presbyterian, a nearly year-long celebration will come to an end with the 100th Anniversary worship on Sunday, and a new 100 years will begin.  At the Grand Lake Chapel, months of planning will culminate in Vacation Bible School the week of July 8th, and a new group of youngsters will have the opportunity to begin their faith journeys.  What will you do with the new season?  We hope that you will find plenty of time for fun in the sun, to be sure, but we also hope that part of your summer will include time for prayer, study, and reflection on your relationship with the Holy Trinity.  These summer weeks are an ideal time to seek out a quiet place to sit for a spell and take in the wonders of nature, without having to put on layers of clothing and heavy boots!  Let the sun warm you, let the gentle breezes rustle the leaves above you, and let the waves lap on the shoreline before you; you will be gently held in the loving arms of the Almighty, and all will be well.

Blessings,

Karen and Greg

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

“See, I am doing a new thing! 
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”  Isaiah 43:19