Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!

These were the words John the Baptist chose to quote from the prophet Isaiah as he began his mission to prepare Israel to receive its messiah. By so doing, John established himself as the latest of Israel’s great prophets, a tradition that went at least as far back as Elijah. 

As we prepare to receive Jesus this coming advent, we will spend the month of November listening to the important words of many of Israel’s great prophets. We will begin with the hard prophetic words of Amos that “The Day of the Lord” is coming. With Israel, we will be forced to come to terms with the fact that we stand under God’s judgment for the many ways we have sinned against God and each other. With Amos, however, we will hear the words of hope that John the Baptist proclaimed when he invited his listeners to join him on the “way of the Lord.” 

To understand the Lord whose way we are challenged to take up, we will listen to the words of Israel’s other great prophets. Who did they think this coming messiah was? what did his way look like? In the coming weeks, we will explore how the prophets believed that the coming messiah would fulfill Israel’s three most important offices: kingship, priesthood, and prophecy. The coming messiah would be the one prophet, priest, and king who fulfilled all of God’s promises to establish Israel’s political, economic, and religious security for all eternity. 

As we follow the prophets’ vision for the Way of the Lord, we are challenged to think about where we turn when we need protection, connection, and direction.

This month’s sermon series will unfold as follows:

November 1: The Day of the Lord (Amos 5:18-21)

November 8: A New David (Micah 5:51-56)

November 15: A New Joshua (Zechariah 3:1-10)

November 22: The Way of the Lord (Luke 1:67-80)

We are providing in-person worship for ALL ages with nursery for little ones and children’s church for preschool and elementary age children. This is a wonderful opportunity for young families to return to worship. To read the reopening plans for kids check out this guide. 

Many neighborhood prayer groups are continuing to meet in a front lawn near you. Even when you’re not able to meet in person, it is nice to know there is someone near you who cares.

If you need help finding a group please contact our Associate Pastor, Dave Hunsicker at david.hunsicker@covhsv.org.

Neighborhood Group Discussion Guide

Neighborhood Shepherd Guide

From the Day of the Lord to the Way of the Lord – Week 1

Set-Up:

Invite everyone to stand (or sit) in a circle in your front lawn with 6-ft distance between each family grouping. Families do not need to social distance but should remain socially distant from other family units. These meetings are intentionally designed to be brief—so you do not need to provide chairs or refreshments for the group.

Instructions (by now you should have a routine. Feel free to get away from our script as you are comfortable):

1. “Welcome to the __________ neighborhood group. We are so excited to have you here with us. If you are joining us for the first time, let me describe the format to you:
   • “We will ask some questions each we to get to know each other better and to talk about the sermon series at church.”
   • “Then we will close by praying for each other and for our neighborhood”.
2. “Let’s start with an ice breaker question. Let’s go around the circle and each say:
   • our name,
   • What is your favorite pumpkin-flavored seasonal food or drink?
3. 15 seconds of silence
   • Pastor Hunsicker’s sermon this week is about “The Day of the Lord”, a common theme in the Old Testament prophets. Think for a few seconds about what that phrase means to you. What do you know about it? What have you heard others say about it? Is this the first time you’ve heard it used?
   • After 15 seconds, go around the circle and listen reflections from each participant.
4. Deeper Reflection
   • According to Amos, the Day of the Lord was not going to be a good day for Israel; and yet, Pastor Hunsicker talked about how the Day of the Lord ultimately is a good day for us because Jesus Christ is judged in our place. In what ways do you fear judgment in your own life and in what ways do you welcome it? Do you think judgment can ever be a good thing?
   • Allow free conversation at this point.
5. Closing Prayer:
   • “Let’s take another 15 seconds to listen to God. Ask God what you need to request prayer from the group for this week”
   • “Then, we’ll go around the circle and share our prayer requests.”
   • “Each of us will pray for the person/group on our left, so pay attention to their requests as they are shared.”
6. Close
   • “Thanks for being here. Please feel free to bring your friends and neighbors next time.”
   • Offer for folks to stick around a few minutes and chit-chat in accordance with what you are able/comfortable accommodating.

Worship Relaunch Information

We offer a small worship service at 10AM. Based on a congregational survey, we anticipate most folks to continue worshipping online – so we will continue to provide excellent worship resources and videos each Sunday for those at home. Together we are united in our commitment to one another and our commitment to Christ, whether worshipping in-person or online!

No reservation or permission is required to attend worship in the sanctuary. However, all participants must wear a mask (we will have some available for you!) and we request that you take your temperature and use the restroom before leaving your home.

The elders request that you make a careful and informed decision about the best way for you to worship in June. For those who intend to attend worship in person, please read the following guidelines carefully when making your decision.

Key Links

For your convenience, here are all the links you need to participate in today’s service!