Dear Members and Friends of Fort Hill,
It has been three weeks since we were able to gather in worship in the Fort Hill sanctuary. It seems much longer than that to me. The cancellation of onsite worship services has now been extended through the month of April in the interest of doing no harm to each other through the spread of the coronavirus.
As we prepare for the journey of Holy Week, we find ourselves engaged in a journey we have not traveled before. It is an unusual journey, a path that requires patience and faith in God’s presence. On this journey, I find myself understanding more clearly the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:8: “For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.” I think all of us who have stood on the holy ground of our sanctuary understand more clearly what it means to long to gather again in worship together, particularly as we proclaim our faith in the risen Christ on Easter Sunday.
As we long together with the compassion of Christ Jesus, I want to encourage you to reach out and connect with each other through telephone calls and other means of communication. I am grateful for the caring ways we have engaged in the compassion of Christ Jesus during the past three weeks. Janet Hawkins, our Minister of Congregational Care, has organized a team of Fort Hill members who are in weekly contact with members of our congregation who find themselves at vulnerable times in life.
I invite you to join in online worship on Sunday mornings as we profess our faith in the God of our salvation. You may access online worship on Our Website, Facebook, and YouTube. As we prepare ourselves for Palm Sunday on April 5 and Easter on April 12, let us remember that we walk the journey ahead with Christ Jesus to the cross of Calvary and the empty tomb.
