Hey Centennial, 

When was the last time you created something? 

I’m not all that great at working with my hands, but I do create things with words on a regular basis. How about you? What do you like to create? This week I will start a two-part sermon series on Ephesians 2:1-10. The last verse in the passage says something pretty incredible. 

We are God’s workmanship. 

God made us. He crafted us. Our lives are not accidental or mere coincidence, they were created with a purpose. A purpose God designed for us. 

One of the things God created us for was to gather in community to worship our creator. I hope we continue making that a central rhythm to our weeks. Whether online or in person, I am eager to gather as part of Centennial Covenant Church this weekend and I hope to see you there. 

Also, make sure you check out the two, P.S.’s at the bottom of this email. One is pretty long, sorry. 😂 

Grace and peace, 

Karl 

P.S. Last Sunday, our guest preacher, Doug Groothuis, preached on the sanctity of life. A number of people asked about other ECC resources on the topic. You can find a brief paper on, “Consistently Protecting and Promoting Life” here. It mentions a number of related papers that will be linked on the sidebar of the same page. 

P.P.S. As you know, we are now over two years into the Covid 19 global pandemic. Our church is also approaching two years since the start of virtual services. Praise God for modern technology in that we have been able to offer both in-person and virtual worship since the fall of 2020. 

What began as a novel virus back in January of 2019 has now expanded to new variants, keeping hospitals filled beyond capacity and continuing to be life threatening.  

It has been a while since CCC’s leadership has spoken directly about our posture in responding to Covid. I would therefore like to briefly remind us as a church what we are doing and why we are doing it. In short, we are following the guidelines set forth by local, state, and national health agencies and intend to continue doing so. 

The guidelines have changed and will continue to change with the evolving circumstances of Covid and its variants. We too are committed to update you on changes effecting worship and other gatherings at Centennial.   

There is one clear and central motivation for all that we do as a church: God’s love. The greatest commandment is to love God and love others. Every action we take to help reduce the spread and impact of Covid – whether small and individual or large and collective – is an act of Christian love and compassion. Wearing masks, worshipping online when necessary, maintaining increased sanitation protocols, running our improved air filtration system, and collectively contributing to the public health of our community is a work of Christian love. Love for God and neighbor is our guiding posture and purpose. 

I’ll be honest, I am tired of the constant change. We all are. These are hard times. It is during these times that I thank you all the more for faithfully being the church. Thank you for seeking ways each of us and all of us can participate in God’s kingdom and God’s will here in our city. 

May we continue to live our lives each day for the glory of God and the good of our neighbor.