May 2021 Strengthening children and families so that all may know God better. C I hope, like me, you are still feeling the joyful presence of the risen Jesus Christ in this Easter season. He was truly present with us in the flesh on Easter morning, and just as he came to be present with his disciples, he has been pre- sent with us every time we have gathered for worship since. There is a temptation, though. In fact, it is one of the very same temptations the devil used on Jesus. He quotes from Deuteronomy (let’s never forget that the devil quotes scripture when it’s to his benefit). “Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will com- mand his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone’” (Matthew 4: 5-6). If God can really be trusted, the devil argues, you should have no fear of what might happen, no matter what you do. Prove it! Jump off this building or do an- ything else that might endanger your life! But Jesus quotes from another place in Deuteronomy: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” It is wrong to hang our faith in God, Jesus is saying, on the assumption that God will protect us from all harm even when we behave unwisely. I believe that Winstead has resisted the devil’s temptation to test God over the past year. We suspended in-person gatherings when Covid infections rose to alarming rates, and found new and creative ways to worship safely. We have carefully followed guidelines like masking and distancing and avoiding behav- iors known to spread the virus more widely, like group speaking and singing. And most folks have been willing and eager to receive one of the life-saving vaccines. We have done all this because, as Christians, we are called to care for (Continued on page 2) onnection W instead Pastor’s Message
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Transcript
May 2021
Strengthening children and families so that all may know God better.
C
I hope, like me, you are still feeling the joyful presence of the risen Jesus
Christ in this Easter season. He was truly present with us in the flesh on Easter
morning, and just as he came to be present with his disciples, he has been pre-
sent with us every time we have gathered for worship since.
There is a temptation, though. In fact, it is one of the very same temptations
the devil used on Jesus. He quotes from Deuteronomy (let’s never forget that
the devil quotes scripture when it’s to his benefit). “Then the devil took him to
the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are
the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will com-
mand his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that
you will not strike your foot against a stone’” (Matthew 4: 5-6).
If God can really be trusted, the devil argues, you should have no fear of what
might happen, no matter what you do. Prove it! Jump off this building or do an-
ything else that might endanger your life!
But Jesus quotes from another place in Deuteronomy: “Do not put the Lord
your God to the test.” It is wrong to hang our faith in God, Jesus is saying, on
the assumption that God will protect us from all harm even when we behave
unwisely.
I believe that Winstead has resisted the devil’s temptation to test God over
the past year. We suspended in-person gatherings when Covid infections rose
to alarming rates, and found new and creative ways to worship safely. We have
carefully followed guidelines like masking and distancing and avoiding behav-
iors known to spread the virus more widely, like group speaking and singing.
And most folks have been willing and eager to receive one of the life-saving
vaccines. We have done all this because, as Christians, we are called to care for
(Continued on page 2)
onnection W instead
Pastor’s Message
2 The Winstead Connection
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