The following are Pastor Clark’s paraphrase of two thanksgivings shared by John Schroeder, with his permission:
- I found the Confession and Absolution during the Maundy Thursday service to be a particularly poignant moment. When it’s easy to come to church, it’s also sometimes easy, for all of us, to just go through the routine. But on Thursday, I was struck by the fact that everyone who came into this moment truly wanted to be there. You have to really want the grace and forgiveness of God to make the intentional effort to get online and to deal with the technical difficulties. I am thankful to have experienced the people of St. Peter coming together in this intentional way to receive the gifts of God.
2. I have also been struck by a parallel between today and the time of Christ and the early Church. Jesus and his apostles came as the Roman Empire was establishing an international system of infrastructure: things like aqueducts, roads, and protection for those who travel. These things then became tools for Jesus and the apostles, enabling them to reach the world with God’s Word. Similarly, today, the tools of the internet and videoconferencing, developed for business and our wider culture, have prepared the way for the Church to keep bringing the Gospel in this “brave new world.” Where would we be if COVID happened 20 or even 10 years ago? I am thankful for the way God’s providence, even in the wider world, prepares the way for the needs and work of the Church, as well.