The Best Day of the Week

We can’t wait to worship Christ together on Sunday! We’re singing again this week with our masks on.

Take a moment to review our guidelines. They help us ensure we can meet safely, honor our civil authorities, and provide a good witness to our neighbors.

The service is outdoors. Keeping services outside is urged by the experts and we have a great space to do it. Bring your sunscreen. We’ll keep the service to 1 hour max.

Households are seated together. When you arrive, enter through one of the gates to the garden maintaining a 6-foot physical distance from other households. Ushers at the gate will allow families in together to grab their chairs. When you enter the garden, look for ushers who will direct you to the spot you can setup your chairs. If we run out of space, you'll be able to view the service on our livestream.

Stay in your household groups. This may be the hardest part. We're affectionate people. But we're asking you to keep physical distance from anyone not in your household. No handshakes, hugs, or high fives. Opt for air fives and air hugs instead. If you have children, keep them with you. We are not offering childcare at this time.

Use our digital bulletin. Our order of service and song lyrics will be available at www.sovgraceoc.org/bulletin. The page will be updated every Friday. You're welcome to print it out beforehand and bring it with you or bring an iPad so you can see the lyrics well.

Wear a mask during singing. We're not requiring attendees to wear a mask for the whole service, but we do recommend it. However, we are asking you to wear a mask while we sing. It'll only be three songs per Sunday. Young children do not need to wear masks. If you’d rather not wear a mask, then please refrain from singing.

Depart as quickly as possible after the service. We know it'll be difficult not to stay and catch up with your friends. But we have to urge you to head out so that our Sunday teams can pack everything up and disinfect while keeping physical distance.

Watch the livestream. It's almost painful for us to write that. We wish everyone could join us in-person. But if you're considered high-risk for the virus, please stay home and watch on our livestream. You can access it on our Facebook page (even if you don’t have a Facebook account). If you have young children and aren't sure they'll be able to sit with you for the 1-hour service or if you’re not ready to be in a large group gathering, there's no shame in staying home. God will supply all your needs while we’re apart.

Please contact the church office if you have any questions.

Last Sunday, Pastor Eric offered us pastoral counsel regarding the ongoing quarantine. As the weeks stretch into months and the mandates continue to change, we all are experiencing a level of COVID-fatigue. Here are a few thoughts to help steady our souls in the midst of these trying times.

1. God is in absolute control of the pandemic and you shouldn’t be afraid of anything.
"Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:17).

While everyone else is worried about what the government is doing, keep your eyes trained on our king. Don't be overly concerned with what California is asking us to do or not do. Instead, concern yourself with what God thinks about what you are doing.

Fear God and be free. The masks. The limits on our gatherings. Even the lack of singing. These things are small in comparison. God can change them on Monday.

What does it look like to be free?

“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

2. The government cannot stop us from being the church.
The church exists to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ: to preach it, teach it, and make disciples of Jesus who follow him in this world, including here in California.

Regardless of whether or not there is a first amendment. Regardless of what authority rules over us (by God’s design). They could take away everything from us (even our very lives) and we’d still be the church.

Some of you will be called to be statesmen. Some of you are going to give your lives in defense of our freedom to worship together. We are grateful for our freedom to worship God openly and publicly and for those who defend our rights to do so. However, may we always reserve our deepest commitments and our strongest passions and stake our reputation upon the message of the Cross and not the U.S. constitution.

3. This quarantine is good for us.
The sooner we recognize this, the better off we’ll be.

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying we should wish for trials and suffering and economic hardships and even sickness. However, we can all agree that the bible’s outlook on these kinds of trials and sufferings and economic hardships and even sickness and death is overwhelmingly positive.

Compassionate (of course). Hopeful always. But angry? Resentful? Bitter? Complaining? Judgmental? Disgruntled? Up in arms and ready to fight? No.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

I don’t want us to be the same church we were back in March. We can’t be. God is doing something good for us and in us both individually and corporately. So whether we sing or not next Sunday. Whether we have to wear masks or return to online services. May we embrace the promise that God works all things together for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).

This past Sunday we put a pause on singing in response to the California Department of Public Health’s order that houses of worship should “discontinue singing.” Although we didn’t sing, we worshiped God. His people were built up. The gospel was preached. Fellowship was enjoyed. It was another wonderful Sunday.

Singing Is Back

We have great news. After speaking with the OC Health Care Agency and reviewing the updates to the order published yesterday, there’s no restriction on singing outside. We’re singing again this week (with masks on).

Thanks for your flexibility as we continue to respond to the ever-changing mandates of this quarantine. Thanks for being the church in the midst of so much uncertainty. Thanks for your trust and support of the pastoral team.

Unfortunately, we did not capture a sermon recording on Sunday. Below, we’ve included the reading from Jonathan Edwards that we shared during the service. We hope this stirs your heart to worship our great God and Savior, and reminds you what a privilege it is to be his people.

Their God is a glorious God. There is none like him, who is infinite in glory and excellency. He is the most high God, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. His name is excellent in all the earth, and his glory is above the heavens. Among the gods there is none like him. There is none in heaven to be compared to him, nor are there any among the sons of the mighty that can be compared to him. Their God is the fountain of all good, and an inexhaustible fountain. He is an all-sufficient God, able to protect and defend them, and do all things for them. 

He is the King of glory, the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle: a strong rock, and a high tower. The eternal God is their refuge, and underneath are everlasting arms. He is a God who has all things in his hands, and does whatever he pleases. He kills and make alive; he brings down to the grave and brings up; he makes poor and makes rich: the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s. Their God is an infinitely holy God. There is none holy as the Lord. And he is infinitely good and merciful. 

Many that others worship and serve as gods, are cruel beings, spirits that seek the ruin of souls, but this is a God that delights in mercy. His grace is infinite, and endures forever. He is love itself, an infinite fountain and ocean of it.

Such a God is their God! Such is the God of them who have forsaken their sins and are converted! They have made a wise choice who have chosen this for their God. They have made a happy exchange indeed, that have exchanged sin, and the world, for such a God!

They have an excellent and glorious Savior, who is the only-begotten Son of God: the brightness of his Father’s glory. One in whom God from eternity had infinite delight; a Savior of infinite love; one that has shed his own blood, and made his soul an offering for their sins, and one that is able to save them to the uttermost.

Their people are an excellent and happy people. God has renewed them, and stamped his own image upon them, and made them partakers of his holiness. They are more excellent than their neighbors. They are the excellent of the earth. They are lovely in the sight of the angels, and they have their souls adorned with those graces that in the sight of God himself are of great price.

The people of God are the most excellent and happy society in the world. That God whom they have chosen for their God, is their Father. He has pardoned all their sins, and they are at peace with him, and he has admitted them to all the privileges of his children. 

As they have devoted themselves to God, so he has given himself to them. He has become their salvation, and their portion: his power and mercy, and all his attributes are theirs. They are in a safe state, free from all possibility of perishing. Satan has no power to destroy them. 

God carries them on eagle’s wings, far above Satan’s reach, and above the reach of all the enemies of their souls. God is with them in this world. They have his gracious presence. God is for them: who then can be against them? As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so God is round about them. 

God is their shield, and their exceeding great reward, and their fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. They have the divine promise and oath, that in the world to come they shall dwell forever in the glorious presence of God.

The past four weeks of in-person services have been a joy. The worship of God's gathered people is a tremendous blessing. Absence made our hearts grow fonder.

As you know, we love to sing. It's an important part of our ministry to one another. We missed it while we were apart. 

However, we're sad to announce that this Sunday we will not be singing during our service. On Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health published an order requiring places of worship to "discontinue singing." We’re contacting county and state public health offices to get more clarity on the order. If we get the green light to sing outdoors, we’ll start right back up. For now, we're pressing pause.

We know this is hard to hear. It's disappointing. 

However, we’re cheerfully complying with this order. It's intended to curb the spread of COVID-19, it's applied to all equally, and it's a temporary restriction. We will sing together again!

Our in-person service is still on for this Sunday at 10:30am. Though we won’t be singing, our pastors are working on some alternative elements for our service.

As always, please contact the pastoral team if you have any questions. They’re available and eager to serve you.

Remember, our entire lives are worship (Rom. 12:1). Let's trust the Lord and do all we can to "encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing" (1 Thess. 5:11).

“What do I lose when I have a praying life? Control. Independence. What do I gain? Friendship with God. A quiet heart. The living work of God in the hearts of those I love. The ability to roll back the tide of evil. Essentially, I lose my kingdom and get his.”
-Paul Miller

Our world is in a historical moment racked by strife, division, illness, and fear. Of all the things Christians can do, we must pray. We call upon our gracious God to do what only he can do. To this end, our denomination is organizing a day of prayer on Wednesday, July 1, 2020.

Zoom Prayer Meeting
Tomorrow 7/1/2020
12:00pm

We’re hosting a Zoom prayer meeting to seek the Lord together and pray with our denomination. We’ll send the link to the call to our church directory 1 hour beforehand. Email the church office if you aren’t sure you’re in our directory.

He Watches Over You

On Sunday Pastor Eric preached from Genesis 16:1-16. This disgraceful moment in the life of Abram reminds us that the Lord has pledged his only Son for us. Our future is secure and we can live in the good of his promise even when our lives are not so promising.

Listen to the sermon.

Livestreaming is new for us and we’re learning as we go. After some trial and error, we determined that Facebook Live is our best option for broadcasting. You can watch even if you’re not on Facebook.

Tune in here at 10:30am on Sundays.