Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our church leadership and myself have been monitoring the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic very closely this week. This situation continues to be fluid, evolving by the hour. After much prayer, thought and discussion, we have decided to follow the recommendations of our national, state and local officials by canceling our Sunday service here at Saint John's tomorrow, March 15, and re-evaluating the situation this week.

I realize that this could be an overreaction to the situation at hand and we certainly don't want to add to the hysteria. However, we have an obligation as the people of God to honor our authorities (Fourth Commandment) and love our neighbor (Fifth Commandant). There is a lot that is unknown about this virus and situation which is causing fear and caution amongst us. Because we love our neighbor, we do not want to put anyone at risk, nor do we want to be part of the potential spread of this virus.

Thus, for sake of love and erring on the side of caution, we will not be gathering here Sunday, March 15.

While I am never in favor of canceling services, I do believe this is the safest and wisest move at this time.

However, since God's Word is our fundamental source of life and strength, especially in times like these, our service tomorrow will continue online for you follow and participate, and I encourage you to do so!

The great psalm of the Reformation reminds us that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) Let us pray for our country, our neighbors and our church in these uncertain times, knowing that the Lord God is our help, our refuge and our strength now and always.

Serving you in Christ,
Pastor Nettleton