Hello and welcome back to the Living Water weekly newsletter.
Next Sunday we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper together. Don’t forget to connect with your ministry leaders so they can deliver the communion elements to you!
Sermon Sneak Peek
“Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
His ways are always prosperous;
your laws are rejected by him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”
His mouth is full of lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.
He says to himself, “God will never notice;
he covers his face and never sees.”
Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.
Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
“He won’t call me to account”?
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked man;
call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
that would not otherwise be found out.
The Lord is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals
will never again strike terror.”
This week we will be learning about the importance of lament in our lives as followers of Jesus. Meditate on this passage as we prepare our hearts for the Lord’s Day.
Stay tuned…
Featured Events
In-Person Worship Meeting
Every Thursday at 8pm we are holding a meeting to discuss the practical implications of coming back together as a congregation to in-person worship. If you would like to be a part of the conversation or if you are willing to serve in the setup team or sanitization team please let leadership know.
College Ministry
The College Ministry will be having its second session of the “Summer Bible Study: The Bible and Justice” this Friday on Pastor David’s driveway at 757 Eastridge Dr. NE! If you can’t make it in person, you can always join in through Zoom (Meeting ID: 965 8335 5933).
Children’s Ministry
The Children’s Ministry is kicking off once again! A newsletter has been sent to parents, so please check your emails if you haven’t done so already. The children will be meeting with our faithful teachers through Zoom at 2:00 PM on Sundays and 10:00 AM on Mondays. As a way for the children to be more engaged during Sunday services, we are encouraging them to draw a picture of the sermon to show during our Fellowship Zoom time. They will have the opportunity to showcase their artwork after services.
LWYG
The Living Water Youth Group will be having a party tomorrow (Friday, July 3rd) from 4:00pm to 8:00pm to celebrate several important milestones: growing to over 10 members, welcoming in new 6th graders, and saying goodbye to Joseph, one of our teachers.
Safety is our number one priority, so please make sure the students come with masks and their own blankets to sit on. The location of the party is TBD.
If anyone is interested in joining LWYG, please do not hesitate to reach out to Amy or Beulah.
Diaconal Ministry
If anyone in the church is falling behind on their bills because of the current economic disruption, we are ready to help. Students and recent alumni, that includes you! If your income has diminished and you are having trouble with rent, for instance, please let us know.
To request help, please take a photo of your overdue bill, so that the image shows the amount overdue, how many days late the bill is, the contact information for whoever should be paid, and the account number. Then email that image, along with your request, to diaconalministry@livingwatercrc.ppchurch.wpenginepowered.com.
The Diaconal Ministry Team will then evaluate the requests we receive, and as appropriate may contact service providers or pay some overdue bills directly on behalf of Living Water people. That is one way that we hope to support one another with justice and mercy.
– Jason Stansbury, on behalf of the Living Water CRC Diaconal Ministry Team
Overflow
On July 11 at 10am Professor Stephen Staggs will be giving us a lecture via Zoom titled “Members Only: White Supremacy and the Founding of Erasmus Hall Academy.” This talk explores the ways in which ideologies of race shaped ideas of membership in Dutch Reformed institutions during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. More details will be forthcoming leading up to the lecture.
Weekly Events
- Friday, June 26 4:00pm: LWYG Party! (Contact Amy or Beulah for more info)
- Friday 6:00pm: College Ministry Bible Study @Pastor David’s driveway OR Zoom (Meeting ID: 965 8335 5933)
- Sunday, July 5 10:00am: Sunday Worship
- Sunday 2:00pm: Children’s Ministry (Sermon Review)
- Monday, July 6 10:00am: Children’s Ministry (Old Testament Panorama)
- Wednesday, July 8 2:00pm: Women’s Bible Study
- Wednesday 6:30pm: Overflow Gathering (Contact Anne Geiges for details)
- Thursday, July 9 7:00pm: Prayer Meeting
- All meetings will be held on Zoom. Click on the links to join!
Service Opportunities
Living Water continues to seek people to serve in leadership. The following are in need of volunteers:
- Welcoming Ministry
- Outreach Ministry
- College Small Group Leaders for the Fall
Please contact a leader if you feel called to step up!
Online Office Hours with Pastor David
Whether you are a student, regular attendee, visitor, or interested in joining the Living Water family, Pastor David would love to get to know you! If you would like to meet up with him, you can contact him at pastordavid@livingwatercrc.ppchurch.wpenginepowered.com to set up a virtual meeting.
Some Things to Pray About This Week
- Praise for the ongoing work behind the scenes by faithful people of our church. Our church has never closed; we are just doing our work differently within the church and in the world
- For wisdom and strength for our leaders continuing to serve
- For justice and healing for those hurt by discriminatory practices of law enforcement in the US
- For the softening of hearts and opening of ears of authority figures
- For those struggling with finances
- For recent graduates who are transitioning to a new stage of life
- For the College, Youth, and Children’s Ministries
- For the flourishing of the new Diaconal Ministry
- For the world to seek God’s face and ask for forgiveness and healing
We encourage each of you to come to Living Water’s weekly Zoom prayer meeting on Thursday nights at 7pm!
See you all Sunday.
Many blessings,
LWCRC