Dear Church,

The unprecedented wildfire smoke got me thinking about unprecedented things this week. Things that are different now than they used to be. Some things, as I've thought about it, feel new in the moment, but they really aren't. One aspect in particular is the difficulty of living life. When I really get into meaningful conversations with people, it's rare to not discover at least one very difficult situation that someone must contend with. The specifics of those situations can feel "new," but in reality, this seems par for the course. Living life often entails navigating hard things.

This is why I want to encourage you to join us on Sundays this month as we dive into a five-part teaching series on the book of 1 Peter. Peter writes to a suffering church, and honestly, we can relate. The specifics are not the same, but the common thread of difficulty is (catch up on yesterday's sermon here). 

What do you find yourself facing right now? Come and see if God has something He wants to say to you through this 2000 year old book that still has powerful guidance to provide to us today.

May the God who is always with us strengthen you for whatever challenges you may be facing.

Joel VanderSchel, on Behalf of the Elder and Minister Team