Come and see

1887 Electric Road, Roanoke, Virginia | (540) 774-8746 | pastor@gslcp.org | office@gslcp.org
A Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod congregation

Latest News and Thoughts

• May 31, 2020: Online Sunday Worship, Morning Bible Study and Thursday Night DevotionMay 30, 2020
  "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love." Dearly Beloved Children of the Heavenly Father, … Read more
• May 24, 2020: Link for Online Sunday Worship and Thursday Night DevotionMay 24, 2020
  Alleulia! The Lord is risen!  He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Dearly Beloved Children of the Heavenly Father, I hope that all of you and yours … Read more
• May 17, 2020: Link for Online Sunday Worship, Morning Bible Study and Thursday Night DevotionMay 17, 2020
  Alleulia! The Lord is risen!  He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Dearly Beloved Children of the Heavenly Father, I hope that all of you and yours … Read more

IS GOOD SHEPHERD OPEN DURING PHASE ONE?

“Safer at Home” is the title of the most recent release by the Commonwealth of Virginia regarding the on-going pandemic. Our position has been that no one should be feeling pressured to attend worship or to receive communion; hence, Pastor Keith Beasley has engineered (quite literally) on-line worship services and has scheduled communion distributions for the last several weeks. (See the links above or click here.)

Given our concerns for everyone’s health and recognizing the demographics of our congregation, we will continue with weekly on-line Sunday services through 31 May with another (by appointment) communion distribution on 24 May.

As May ends, we will review our situation, the health department information, and state directives; then, we will chart our course for June (and beyond).

A decision to re-open the sanctuary for worship is complicated by several factors: the Governor’s guidelines lack, in part, specificity; some requirements would be very labor intensive (such as weekly deep cleaning/disinfecting of the church and worship materials including hymnals); maintenance of social/physical distance within the church and the narthex; concern for and by medical personnel as potential carriers of the virus out of or into medical facilities and an on-going concern that there could be others who would carry the virus from workplaces into the sanctuary.

In recent months, our families have maintained a very high, rate of contributions. Thank you for that! Even though “shut down,” there are still expenses for the congregational treasurer to pay. So – thank you for your faithfulness in your giving to the Lord’s work.

Should you or any family members have need of help/assistance in coping with the effects of this pandemic, please reach out to any of us or your Elder. We will endeavor to find assistance for you and yours.

We all look forward to seeing one another up close and in person soon. Until then, know that our collective prayers are needed for our congregation, our community, our nation, and – literally – our world.

Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. —Psalm 66:5

When the apostle Philip told his friend Nathanael he had found the Messiah, Nathanael was skeptical.  “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” he asked. (John 1:46) Philip’s only response was “Come and see.”

Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection frees us from sin and death. His amazing grace brings us forgiveness from God and allows us to forgive others. How is this possible? Come and see.