Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

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 arrival of spring, and let us be glad for the glorious sunshine and warmth that greeted us this morning!  OK, sarcasm over; the weather outside is truly frightful as we write this message, with blowing lake-effect snow, cold temperatures, and gusty winds that are touching 35 mph (which only makes it feel colder…).  The fact remains that the Lord has given us another day to enjoy, even if we’re having to enjoy it wrapped up in a blanket and sipping hot cocoa.  Have no fear, spring weather will get here, eventually!

But, given that it is the first full day of spring, the cherished tradition of spring cleaning is front of mind for many of us.  With Easter only days away, our minds are focused on getting our homes ready to host family gatherings, planning for special meals, and seeking good hiding places for Easter eggs or Easter baskets (if that’s part of your family traditions).  It’s amazing how much “stuff” we can accumulate over the course of a year, both in our homes and in our hearts and minds.  We know some of us are meticulous about keeping our homes clean and clutter-free, and we know some of us aren’t quite so good at it, but we know for certain that all of us can do a better job of keeping our hearts and minds clean and clutter-free.  The waning Season of Lent has been an opportunity to jump-start the task of clearing away unnecessary junk in our souls, and for many among us it’s a good thing that we have another 10 days or so to finish the job; but what about those corners of our souls that we may have neglected during Lent?  Those dark corners where we harbor grudges and jealousies?  The time has come, with the advent of spring and the nearness of Easter, to dig into the darkest spaces and let the Light of Christ shine into them, cleansing them once and for all of those things that are corrosive to our souls.  This is going to be a heavy lift for some of us, but a desperately needed one, if we are to be truly prepared for the Passion of Our Lord and his Resurrection!  There’s no more time to put off this hard work; and trust us, we’ll all be better for having tackled the job.

Karen and Greg

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

Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, March 13, 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 waning days of winter, and let us be glad that the beginning spring is exactly one week away!  This past week should remind us all that the old adage about Michigan weather rings true, and that as excited as many of us are about the prospect of getting outside into our gardens, best to “keep our powder dry” and not start switching out snow-fighting equipment for sharpened lawn mower blades just yet!

Let us also rejoice and be glad for the continuation of the Season of Lent, and the rich opportunity before us to keep drawing closer to God in preparation for Christ’s Passion and Resurrection.  Let us rejoice and be glad for the opportunity we’ve been blessed with to continue de-cluttering our spiritual lives, eliminating distractions and taking advantage of times of meditation and prayer that open our hearts to God’s presence.  Let us rejoice and be glad for the Holy Spirit that indwells our hearts, and let us rejoice and be glad for Jesus’ presence as we walk with him towards the cross.  These days of Lent are such a valuable gift, a gift to be savored; sometimes it can be hard to stick with the disciplines we’ve chosen for these 40 days, as the temptations beckon us to sneak a sweet treat or skip a day of Bible readings, but we’re so close to the fulfillment of our preparations that it would be a shame to give in.  So we urge you to keep the faith, be strong in your Lenten journey, and know that when the great day of Easter arrives, you’ll be ready to embrace the gift of forgiveness and eternal life!!

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

Do not quench the Spirit.  1 Thessalonians 5:19

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, March 6, 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 beautiful late winter morning, and let us be glad for the promise of spring that is now only two weeks away!  We know that there are many among us who have been disappointed in the “odd” winter, with snow coming in big dumps only to melt away in a matter of days, putting a damper on winter sports activities; but there are also many among us who have enjoyed relatively easy driving and less time spent clearing driveways and sidewalks.  That being said, let’s not be too quick to declare winter over – strange things tend to happen Up North as seasons change…

We’re now about halfway through the Season of Lent, and it’s a good time to check in on our progress towards the cross, to take a status check on our preparations; most importantly our spiritual preparations.  We know we spend a lot of time touching on this subject, but it’s important.  Really important.  While we all know that Easter is the most important day in the church year, and a day that many of us have celebrated many, many times before; it’s still a day that we must prepare ourselves for if we’re going to fully appreciate the lessons and gifts the day offers us.  The good news is that we are blessed to have 25 more days to prepare; the less-than-good news is that we have 25 more days to be distracted, tempted, or knocked off-course in our journey.  This is not the time to relax, it is the time to sharpen our focus on what lies ahead.  And what lies ahead is Holy Week and the Passion of Christ, and ultimately the amazing gift of the Resurrection of our Lord.  So let’s recommit ourselves to making ourselves as ready as we possibly can, so that this Easter is the most special one of our lives!

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, February 28, 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 ongoing Season of Lent, and let us be glad for four more weeks to grow ever-closer to our God!  It’s a little harder to rejoice in the truly “unique” weather we’ve been experiencing this winter, especially the last few days; we certainly were glad for warm temperatures and sunny skies on Tuesday, not so much for the gale force winds and bitter cold of today!  Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if winter snow was still on the ground, but let’s be honest – today is downright nasty in terms of the blowing.  What’s that old saying about Michigan weather – if you don’t like it, wait a few minutes and it will change?  It seems as if we’ve had the entire meteorological cycle run its course in the last 24 hours!

     Weird weather notwithstanding, this is a special day, a gift from God, as are all days; and so there is much to be joyful about, much to celebrate.  We’re not dealing with any natural disasters in Northern Michigan – and no, high winds and cold temperatures aren’t a disaster, it’s normal.  We are blessed with a relatively high level of safety and security, most of us are able to enjoy the warmth of our homes and enough food to eat, and regardless of the season, there is beauty all around us to marvel at.  Last night, your pastors stepped outside and were awed by the majesty of the stars in the clear sky.  Above all, we are walking with our Lord and Savior towards the glories of Easter Sunday, when all things will be made new; our sins forgiven, the promise of eternal life is ours to claim, and the wonderful fellowship of brothers and sisters all around the world!  Today is cold and blustery, but today holds the promise of a new tomorrow; a promise of limitless possibilities, the joy of being in the presence of the Almighty, and the peace of sharing the day with Christ Jesus.  Praise God for his incredible gifts!

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

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!  Psalm 107:1

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, February 21, 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 bright sunshine to start our day, and let us be glad that the bitter cold of the recent past is no longer with us!  That said, for those amongst us who are hoping that today represents the fulfillment of Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of an early spring, please bear in mind that today is one full month until the first day of spring; we’ve still got at least a few days of winter left, in spite of what the redoubtable groundhog might think!

The ups and downs of the weather remind us of the ups and downs of the Lenten season, the success and shortfalls in our disciplines for this time of reflection and preparation as we continue our journey to the cross.  Regardless of how you planned to adjust your life so that God could be a more present part of your life during these 40 days, some days we fulfill our goals, and some days we stumble.  If your plan including avoiding certain foods, there are days when the forbidden fruit is accidentally consumed, and there’s a twinge of guilt; if your plan called for avoiding certain forms of entertainment, there are days when the TV powers up with the “wrong” channel selected, or a particular magazine hits the mailbox and you mindlessly flip through the pages before you catch yourself and set it down, and there’s a twinge of guilt.  Our pastoral advice to each of you whom might have stumbled (or will stumble before the season comes to an end), is GET OVER IT!!  Guilty feelings over a moment of weakness or an inadvertent choice are simply wasted energy; when we stumble, we should get back up, dust ourselves off, commit ourselves to continuing to do the very best we can to live out our plan, and keep going!  As has often been said, nobody’s perfect; all have erred and fallen short of the glory of God.  And God loves us still, God encourages us still, God forgives us still.  We are blessed to have God as our most ardent supporter and our most enthusiastic cheerleader; so let us forge ahead with this special season, live a Holy Lent, and reap the benefits of growing ever closer to the Almighty.

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

As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. Colossians 2:6

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, February 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 bright sunshine to welcome Valentine’s Day, a day for celebrating love. And let us be glad for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Season of Lent.  St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers and beekeepers, was priest and physician in Rome in the 3rd Century, who (according to legend), signed a letter “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended and healed from blindness.  An alternative legend suggests that St. Valentine secretly married couples so that the husbands couldn’t be drafted to serve in a war.  Either way, St. Valentine was guided by love to serve others.

And we are guided by love to serve others, and to serve the church.  On this Ash Wednesday, love calls us to repentance and discipline as we prepare for Christ’s Passion and Resurrection at Easter.  Through the simple act of the imposition of ashes, we are reminded of where we came from and to where we will return when the time comes for us to be called home.  Actually, it’s more accurate to say that we are reminded of from whom we came, and to whom we shall return; Almighty God.  Ash Wednesday, and the Season of Lent that follows, is an invitation to each one of us to draw closer to the Divine so that we can better hear what changes in our lives will allow us to live in full communion with God and Jesus Christ, and those who share the journey of life with us.  We’ve been saying this for years, but it bears repeating; Lent is not about “giving something up” in a superficial act of contrition.  Lent is about setting aside distractions and temptations so that we can focus on what really matters – our relationship with God, and our walk with Christ.  Join us in this part of the journey!!

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

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, February 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 a bright, sunny day, and let us be glad for the abundant blessing that our Lord has given to us!  We all know that Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow last Thursday, which means an early spring, but given that the little rodent has been correct in his prognostications only 39% of the time, none of us should be sharpening up the lawn mower blades and putting away the snow shovels any time soon!  We hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but winter is going to be with us for a while.

As hard as it is to believe, a week from today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent; this Sunday we will observe the Transfiguration of the Lord, when he became radiant in his glory and his divinity was affirmed.  While few among us have experienced anything remotely like Christ’s transformation, each of us have been transformed by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and by changing our lives to follow in The Way.  When we accepted Christ, we became a new being; it doesn’t matter if that acceptance came as a youngster, or in middle age, or near the end of our Earthly existence – we were made new, and in a way unique to each of us, radiant.  All of us shine with the light of Christ, when we’re willing to let our light shine through the dreariness of a routine day, or through the darkness of suffering and pain, or through the delights of joys and successes.  It’s up to us if we’re going to shine, or put our light under a basket so that no one can see it; at this time of transition, we encourage you to let your light shine bright on all whom you meet.  And to let it shine on yourselves, because sometimes we’re unwilling to embrace the light for ourselves.  And that would be a tragedy.

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

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Reaching out from Grand Lake Community Chapel

Wednesday, January 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 a pleasant day to end the month of January, and let us be glad for the ease of getting around that we’re enjoying in recent days!  Following the disruption to our routines that resulted from the big storm a couple of weeks ago, this is a nice break; but as we all know, winter is nowhere near being done with us!  We live Up North, after all!!

Tomorrow, the pages of the calendar turn from January to February; a new month dawns, full of promise and possibility.  This year, February is a Leap Year, so we’ll have an extra day to enjoy the upcoming Season of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday (February 14th).  That’s kinda’ special; while Leap Years come around every four years, it doesn’t always happen that Ash Wednesday, and therefore Lent, falls in the month of February.  We’ve got a couple of weeks to think about how we might make use of this extra day, and each of us will have a different answer to that question, but let us gently suggest that an extra day of focus on our faith can’t be anything but good.  An extra day of prayer can’t be anything but good, an extra day of studying Scripture can’t be anything but good.  As an entirely practical matter, an extra day to take care of the business of life can’t be anything but good, whether that business involves cleaning the basement or organizing your sock drawer; but it’s a rare thing indeed to be blessed with an extra day in the midst of a special season to deepen our relationship with the Divine.  Let us all rejoice and be glad for the gift of extra time!

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

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way
you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2