Governor Inslee has announced that he will sign an emergency declaration that groups of 50 or more people is prohibited in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19.
After further discussions amongst the Deacons and other leaders in the congregation, it has been determined that Our Redeemer Lutheran Church’s facility will be closed until further notice. Worship services will be available online as a live stream via YouTube. Subscribe to the channel and click on the notification icon if you would like to receive a notification on your phone or computer. You can find a link to the YouTube channel on the front page of www.orlckirkland.org. Vespers is on Wednesday at 6:30 PM and Divine Service is on Sunday at 9:30 AM.
Reflecting on the third commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” Martin Luther writes…
This, then, is the simple meaning of this commandment: Because we observe holidays anyhow, we should use them to learn God’s Word. The real business of this day should be preaching for the benefit of young people and the poor common folk.
While not gathering together is definitely a hardship for the body of Christ, we are still able to attend to learning God’s Word. I encourage you all to tune in to the live worship services. The video will be saved and posted on YouTube and the sermons will continue to be recorded and posted on our website for you to listen to wherever you listen to podcasts.
While I personally hope that we will be able to be reunited in physical fellowship by Palm Sunday, we do not know how long the order to reduce gatherings will last nor do we have any indication on how long it will take for the risk to our older congregants will subside. That said, the best place to stay up to date on what is going on at ORLC is always right here.
Peace be with you,
Pastor Schultz