A Fitting Response To This Moment of Arrival

OK, we could find our way. Find our way back to our seats. In Psalm 134. It's one of the last psalms of ascent, so it's a song that people sang.

On their way to church, essentially as they were traveling to Jerusalem, but the psalmist says, behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity, and the unity he's talking about is the unity of worship. as pilgrims are, ascending to Jerusalem. for the worship of, of God, and I, I think we can all deliver that same exclamation, this morning after three months of absence. It really is a wonderful thing for us to, see each other.

putting a service like this on, under these circumstances requires a lot of thought and, and planning and work from a number of people and, as, we had planned on the service taking place on a Saturday night, which completely was a different configuration we would have been over there facing in a different direction. And Eric Cooper, our church administrator, had all of that beautifully sketched out and then we ended up changing our plans to this morning and we have the setup that we have, today, so we're thankful, so thankful for Eric Cooper's work as our church administrator and working, on this and all the members, of the technology and audio visual.

ministries and safety team ushering ministry along with those involved with our facilities ministry and our communion ministry. This just involved, a lot of work and planning by a number of people in some cases, being very flexible and charting new ground and setting things up in a way that we've never, done before.

So can we just take a moment to express our appreciation to all those who. And I understand that there were 4 people or at least 4 vehicles that showed up last night for the service and my understanding is that you were gracious and said that you would be back this morning. So thank you for your grace toward us and just responding to this change of the timing of our service. there are a few things that I'm gonna miss about the way we've done things the last 12 weeks.

I will miss attending church in my sweats. I will miss having our dog. with us while we are. Attending church, I will miss being able to do a retake when I mess up on a, a sermon.

I will miss only needing to iron the front of my shirt from here up. because that's all that the camera would show. but I would happily trade all of those things. for being here in this parking lot together with you this morning.

In fact, the, the, the passage of scripture that most represents how I have felt this week and anticipating the service and how I feel this morning is Psalm 84. And so that's where I want us to spend some time this morning. the psalmist arrives at the temple, it seems after a challenging pilgrimage, and the way that he chooses to respond upon arrival, is a model to, showing us ways that we can respond this morning at the end of our 13 week pilgrimage to this service, this morning, our pilgrimage to this location at this time.

To worship God, today.

And as you read through Psalm 84, you notice a real emphasis on the physical location and the entities associated with the worship of God at Zion. One might notice that and be tempted to criticize the psalmist for putting too much emphasis on these physical entities associated with the worship of God, but this criticism would actually miss the point of the Psalm altogether. The psalmist clearly loves God, and it is because he loves God that he has come to cherish the physical location and the buildings and the physical.

Implements associated with God.

So in thinking this way, he's not idolizing physical things. He's merely showing his deep affection for God who makes these physical things precious. And in a similar way, I have come to love this place. These buildings where we're gathered this morning.

We've gathered in the Bourne's Auditorium for almost 6 years now, and our staff has officed in this place for that length of time. This physical place has served as a gathering place for us to assemble and worship God and to pray and to celebrate Christ's sacrifice on our behalf as we have done even this morning. Many memories, good memories have been made here. Demons have been cast out here.

Souls have been saved here, victories have been won here. Love has been given and received here, and greatest of all, this is the place where we as a whole congregation have been able to gather with one voice to worship God and with one ear to listen to him as he speaks to us through his word. We've, we've studied through the whole book of Genesis in this place. Even more sacred than this place though on Columbia Avenue, as Mike mentioned earlier though, is you as a congregation.

According to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16, the apostle Paul says, you plural are the temple singular of God. And the spirit dwells within you. As a corporate entity, so when we as a congregation physically come together as a church body, we are a single temple to the Lord, a dwelling place of God. The temple of God is not the Barnes Technology Center behind me, it's you.

All of us physically together are a temple of God, and together each of us. is blessed. This morning to be gathered into this temple. After a 3 month absence.

Health and safety guidelines as we have communicated with you, do not permit us as a whole congregation to gather indoors in the Bourne's Auditorium just yet. So we are meeting in this parking lot in an effort to remain in submission to the authorities that God has established over us. we look forward to the government's guidelines, being changed a week from tomorrow. hopefully, we're gonna pray to that end.

We could complain about our situation having to worship here in this parking lot. I got a text from someone already this morning saying, hey, let's do this every Sunday, even when we're allowed to go inside because they enjoy being out here. So we're not gonna complain. About being out here this morning.

Rather we're gonna be thankful for the leaders that God has placed over us in our county and state and federal governments, and we're gonna cherish the progress of just being allowed to gather here in this parking lot represents for all of us. Meeting here today represents a significant step on the path toward normal. This is not normal. But it represents a significant step in the path toward normal, and I can't think of anywhere else.

I'd rather be on this planet this morning than here in this parking lot together with you. In fact, I suspect that we're all going to remember this service 10 years from now. Other services we won't remember we're gonna remember this kids, you're gonna remember this service that we had in this parking lot this morning. Because it's our first service.

After a 3 month absence from one another. And it's in this setting in a parking lot. So how should we feel? Right now, what should we be thinking?

How should we respond now that we are finally gathered together again among the people of God who serve as the temple of God? I wanna take some time to walk. with you through some appropriate responses that I think we should have on this first gathering together since March and we'll get our cues from the psalmist and ultimately there's 6 responses. that we see exhibited by the psalmist.

I don't know that we'll be able to cover all of them, this morning, but we'll just look at some responses. With the time that we have. That we should have to this first occasion of our gathering together after 3 months of not being able to do so. And the first response is we should sing for joy at the loveliness of being here.

We should, we should sing for joy at the loveliness of being here. the most eloquent part of this service today is nothing I say. It's just us being here. the greatest eloquence was you guys driving onto the campus and setting up your chairs and just the visual sight of everyone coming together and greeting one another is the most eloquent statement being made and it is lovely and we should sing for joy at the loveliness of being here this morning just like the psalmist does.

In Psalm 84, the psalmist has arrived at the temple for worship, and he's swept up in emotion as he takes in the view. He begins the psalm by saying how lovely. Are your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts. Commentators say that the plural.

That is translated in our English translations as dwelling places should be understood as an intensive plural. Where we would understand the psalmist is saying, how lovely is your ultimate dwelling place, O Lord of hosts. God dwells in all of heaven and earth, but this dwelling place, the temple of God, is the ultimate dwelling place of God where he has caused a special presence to dwell, and the psalmist is saying, how lovely is your special ultimate dwelling place, oh Lord of hosts.

But upon declaring this, The psalmist turns reflective and remembers what he was feeling during his time of absence from this temple.

In verse 2, he says, my soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord. He hasn't forgotten about the pain and the ache. Here he is at the temple and he's happy, he's thrilled. But he stops to give expression to what he was feeling before he arrived.

And he uses strong language. Some translations have him saying, my soul longed, even fainted for the courts. Of the Lord. He's literally saying that not being able to be at the temple almost finished him off.

That's how great His longing was. But now he is at the temple and he expresses what his heart. wants to do right now as his former longing has now met with satisfaction. Of arriving at the temple and he says, my heart.

And my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Deep yearning has given way to satisfaction and however deep his longing was. For gathering at the temple, that's how deep his joy is now that he gives expression to and now from the depths of his heart, he sings for joy to the living God. Kinda like we feel in gathering here this morning.

As 3 months of longing. Now meet with fulfillment. We should not forget the pain that was ours over these past 3 months of not being able to meet together. We should not forget the longing.

We should not forget the frustration that we felt. Because if we remember the longing, then it will only serve to deepen our joy and our gratefulness to God, and it will Enrich our song of joy over the loveliness of being gathered here this morning. All of you gathered here this morning, you are the temple of God in my life. And I am thrilled to have arrived at this temple of God that is you this morning.

Some of you look a little different than you did 3 months ago. I won't specify how. I'm sure my hairline has receded also over these 3 months. We were thinking about having you guys text the names of those who look the most different.

compared to 3 months ago, and then we would have had them come up and taken a vote. And then the winner, we would give a t-shirt that says, I am of Mike Berry. But We nixed that idea. But you look different.

some of you look a little different. But you've never looked so lovely. As you do this morning. How lovely, how beloved are you, the dwelling place of God in my life and in the life.

Of all of your brothers and sisters in this church family. There's a second appropriate response. That we should have in gathering here together this morning for the first time in 3 months and that is we should pronounce ourselves blessed to gather and nurture life here we should pronounce ourselves blessed. We are blessed to be able to gather and to nurture.

Life here. Listen to what the psalmist says in verse 3. He says the bird also has found a house and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young even, and we could translate this even in view of your altars or near your altars as some translations say. Oh Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.

Upon arriving at the temple, the psalmist literally sees birds that have made a home in various niches of the house of God. And a swallow that has even found a nest for herself near the altar of God where she can lay her eggs and nurture her little ones to life and then to maturity. This psalmist is a poet. He notices these types of things, and they're images that recall things to his mind.

He's struck by this image and he sees himself and the people of Israel in those birds, because the temple is their home. The temple is where they fly to for shelter. The temple of God is the place where he and others bring their children and offer them to the Lord and where they nurture their children's faith. On one level this place here at Bourne's has been just such a place for us over the last 6 years.

This is where we have placed our children in the nursery. It's where our children have sat in children's church and been taught God's word, or they've sat with us in church and have worshiped with us. It's where we have taught them in Sunday school. It's where we have trained them in Ina.

It's where we have given. Children clipboards each Sunday so that they can pay attention and take notes during the sermon. It's where they can sing and pray and listen. And Love others and receive love from others before and after church.

Beyond this physical location, all these things that I've just mentioned have happened in the context of us as a community being the temple of the living God. We who are members of Cornerstone have found a home inside this physical. Community of people, a place where our children can be brought into a safe place. Where our children's faith can be nourished inside the nurturing context of us physically coming together as a church body.

As the dwelling place of God, wherever we have gathered, whether it's here or Elsewhere And so we say with the psalmist in verse 4, how blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are ever praising you. There's a 3rd appropriate response to us gathering in this place for the 1st time in 3 months that I think we can. Learn from the psalmist, and that is we should forever cherish the journey.

Toward us getting here. We should forever cherish the journey. Involved in getting here. Listen to what the psalmist says, and this is really fascinating to me.

He says in verse 5, how blessed is the man whose strength is in you, and whose heart are the highways to Zion. There are essentially two beatitudes here. The first is how blessed is the man whose strength is in God, and the second beatitude is interesting, how blessed is the man in whose heart are the highways to Zion. Which was the mountain on which the temple of Jerusalem stood.

What does that mean? To have in your heart the highways to Zion, to have in your heart the highways to Zion means that the route to the temple by heart. It means that you don't need a map to get there anymore because you've been there often enough that the route, like the back of your hand. It means that you not only cherish Zion, but that you also cherish the route that leads to Zion.

You cherish every aspect of the route because where it leads. what lies at the end of that route. There may be hills to climb and valleys to travel through. that there may be pleasant and rough patches on the journey, but it doesn't matter.

You cherish the route because where it is heading. where it will end, and that affects your perspective regarding every aspect of the journey to God's house. To have in your heart, the highways to Zion also mean that even once you've arrived in Zion. You never forget the journey.

That you took to get there. You're not only happy to be In Zion, you're grateful for the journey to Zion as well. Thinking about Himself and pilgrims traveling to Zion, the psalmist says in verse 6, passing through the valley of Baja. Which is the Hebrew word for weeping.

Passing through the valley of weeping, they, speaking of fellow pilgrims, they make it a spring. The early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength. Every one of them appears before God.

In Zion The valley of Baja is traditionally thought of as a dry region that was en route to Jerusalem. Speaking of the pilgrims heading to Jerusalem, the psalmist speaks about these pilgrims passing through this valley, this dry valley, and enriching this valley by their presence as they merely traveled through. Their joyful presence turned an otherwise arid place into a delightful spring. And then on top of that, God Himself adds his blessing to this valley with the rains that he sends to bless his pilgrims who are on their way to the temple in Jerusalem.

Evidently, God doesn't just wait until his pilgrims arrive in Jerusalem before he blesses them. He blesses them en route to Jerusalem. He even blesses them in the valley of Baja. The valley of weeping.

I cannot read these words. And not think of the journey that we have been on over the last 3 months as a congregation. The way I see it, our pilgrimage to this church service this morning did not begin the moment that we left our house this morning to come here. Our pilgrimage to this morning's service began 3 months ago.

On March 12th. We've literally been on a 3 month pilgrimage. To this service this morning. And we have traveled through the valley of weeping.

To get here Over 100,000 Americans have died with COVID-19 since we began our journey to the service this morning. 4 people from our own church have Come down with COVID-19. Some of us have lost loved ones. With COVID-19 since we last met.

Some of us have not been able to visit with loved ones because Of the quarantine. Some of us have lost jobs and experienced or experienced a cutback in hours or had our economic livelihoods severely impacted for the worst because of the shutdown. Many of us have experienced profound moments of anxiety. And fears and sleepless nights during some of these days that sometimes have felt apocalyptic.

The path we have traveled even the last couple of weeks has been beset by injustices done. On a variety of levels and by racial divisions and Violence and protest and looting, some of which has come to our own cities. And through all of these things, we've not been able as a congregation to come together in the, in the flesh to find strength in our corporate worship together during a time when we really could have used that. Coming together each Sunday.

If there ever was a valley of weeping these last 3 months. had been an unforgettable valley of weeping for us. And yet, notice what the psalmist says. He says, passing through the valley of weeping.

That's not a cul-de-sac. Can I get another amen? He says passing through the valley of weeping. The valley of weeping was not our destination.

It was something that in God's providence we were to pass through in order to arrive here this morning. And here we are this morning together once again. And we can actually, now that we're here feeling the satisfaction of that, we can do what the psalmist does and we can look back and rejoice, not just in being here today, but also rejoicing in the journey. As a pastor, I see many wonderful ways in which you guys as pilgrims have turned the last 3 months' journey into a spring.

And I see ways that God has sent rains of blessing upon us in exactly those moments when those rains were needed. And when I see all of that, I find myself cherishing not only being here today, but I also find myself deeply cherishing the last 3 months of pilgrimage too, and no one can ever take that away from me. There are many ways that you, brothers and sisters have turned the valley of weeping into a spring in the ways that you've loved one another, ways that you have looked after each other.

During this time, you have been there for each other.

You have literally. Messages I've received from some of you have almost exactly said this, that you've been there for each other and turned each other's tears of sorrow into tears of joy because of the love that you have shown. You guys have met together on Zoom and FaceTime and other technologies. You found other ways to stay connected with each other.

You've dropped off gifts and supplies at each other's doorsteps. You've given over $40,000 to our church's Agape Fund over the last 3 months to help bring help to those in our body who might need it. You're giving to. The church's general fund over the last 3 months actually leaves us right at budget for the year to date, and that's an amazing thing.

Some of you have reached out to others in the community during this time, being the hands and feet of Christ to others in their time of need and sharing Christ with others. And some have come to know the Lord as a result of your outreach. And your ministry When we first decided to Cancel our worship service for the Sunday of March 15th. it was a Thursday night when the elders met and made that decision, and we were not even sure at that point what in the world we were gonna do to bring the service to you that Sunday.

And on behalf of our technology team headed up by Eve Hansen. Jonathan Demil texted me at that time and just said, hey, I'm available to do whatever you need. Done to help record and upload any services for the congregation. This Sunday and beyond and, and we took Jonathan up on his offer.

Mike and the worship team met down here on that Saturday afternoon and Jonathan and Jenny Zamoyski recorded them singing. And then Jonathan recorded me preaching a sermon to you. I preached the whole sermon into his camera, and then when I was done. We realized that there was a problem with the audio, so I had to re-preach.

That sermon again. I think we finished around 9 o'clock that evening, and Jonathan then took all of that footage. Home and stayed up through the entire night. To piece together everything and to render it for a live stream on Sunday morning.

From beginning to end, it was a 2020 hour project for him. That The next week. He was ready to do the same thing again for us, and then the next. And then the next, donating 20 hours to the church and service for you all, and then came the week of Easter.

Where he donated 40 hours and 2 sleepless nights to this church body. Putting together the Good Friday service and the Easter service that week. Some of you have asked, so I want you to know that during that week of Easter, we sat Jonathan down and told him that we wanted to retain his services and compensate him for his labor on your behalf, retroactive back to the first week that he began helping us and then end of the weeks ahead for however long this was needed, and he accepted our offer.

He signed the contract we gave him, but he said he would have been happy to continue doing what he was doing.

With no compensation. We're thankful that he let us compensate him and we're also thankful for the 250+ hours in the last 3 months that he's devoted. To bringing you our online services. You guys have been able to wake up on Sunday mornings and attend church in your jammies.

Over the last 12 weeks. Because of the labor of this brother who's often worked through much of the night to bring it to you. So to Jonathan Demil, I wanna say thank you. You have turned this valley of weeping into a spring for all of us and we'll be forever grateful.

We've appreciated all of our worship leaders over the last 12 weeks, Mike Berry, Jeff Smith, Justin Chow, Jonathan Langley, and Jordan Davis, along with those who have beautifully served with them. It's not easy leading worship while your only audience is an unforgiving camera. And we very much appreciated the work that Jenny Zamoyski has done in helping with the worship audio. And remastering the audio for the worship and getting it ready for public consumption on Sunday morning.

I've heard the worship recordings, before she remastered them and then watched those recordings on a Sunday morning after she has worked her magic on them, and I am very grateful for her labor on behalf of this congregation. Jenny and our worship teams have turned this valley of weeping into a spring for all of us, and we thank you. I'm grateful for the work that Eve Hansen has done providing lighting for our recordings, setting us up for live streaming our services from here on out, and we're live streaming right now, because of his labor and just helping set up technical details even for our service, this morning.

Our technology ministry has always been Important, but it has never been more important than it has been over the last 3 months.

So thank you, Eve. You have turned this valley of weeping into a spring for all of us. I'm grateful for our church staff and all the ways that they have stepped up and served, this church body so faithfully over the last 3 months. We as a staff have not been able to be at the church.

but we have met together on Zoom at 11 o'clock every workday morning and put our heads together to figure out what we needed to do for that day. I wish you could have seen the beauty of what I have seen in your staff. Over the last 3 months, I've seen every staff member flex and change and serve you all in whatever ways were needed, whatever different hat they needed to wear to do that. Sometimes with brand new tasks at a moment's notice.

But they have embraced those tasks, and each of them has turned this valley of weeping into a spring for all of us, and I will forever cherish the opportunity that has been mine to travel through these last 13 weeks with them. I'm thankful for the elders of Cornerstone. And I think you should be as well. We have never been faced with so many decisions that have needed to be made so quickly.

We have prayed together, we have sought the Lord together. Sometimes as we conversed. We didn't get the answers that we wanted when we felt like we needed them. None of us.

On the elder board who attended seminary ever took any classes on leading a congregation through a pandemic. There were no such classes. A couple of weeks ago as elders we were at a loss about an important decision that we needed to make and And it was just a moment of frustration for all of us. I wanted to just.

Walk away from the Zoom meeting and just sob. So we tabled it until the next day and by the next morning when we came together over Zoom, it's like the clouds had parted and God. And his leading was clear to all of us. And we were at a point of unanimity and every decision that we as elders have made throughout these last 3 months has been unanimous.

I love these men. I love the way they think. I love the ways they think. The same way I do and I love the ways they think differently than I do.

I love the contribution that each of them brings to the table and it's been an honor for me to represent these men to you each Sunday as we have sought to lead you as a congregation through this time, the elders. As well as the staff have turned this valley of weeping into a spring for me and for all of us, and I think we should express our appreciation to them. I'm also freshly grateful for our care group leaders and how they have led their care groups through this time. Our care group ministry started 15 years ago, yet I cannot escape the feeling.

That God raised up our care group ministry in order that our church might be prepared to thrive during this exact crisis that we found ourselves in over the last 3 months. When the shutdown happened, we did not need to scramble as some churches did in order to create some newfangled way to keep our people connected and cared for during the season. Our care group ministry was already doing that beautifully. Serving as a powerful vehicle for maintaining connections and caring for the flock and meeting each other's needs.

I can honestly say that rather than retreating our care groups have advanced rather than growing apart our care groups have come together over Zoom and other technologies with the frequency and a depth that has left them more united than ever. We as elders have been moved to tears upon hearing reports of care groups rallying around a member in need. As you all have been showing yourselves to be the hands and feet of Christ. To each other in your hours of trial.

All those in our church that Had COVID-19 testify to the blessing that their care group has been to them and caring for them. A few weeks ago, I was watching a television news segment in which a Riverside pastor was giving reasons why our state government should allow for our church services to open right away. And he said, and I quote, we have all kinds of emotional issues in our church. We have marital issues going on in our church.

We are seeing a spike in depression and suicides and drug addiction, unquote. And when I heard this pastor say these words, his words resonated with me on some level. The people of Cornerstone are as broken as any other Christians in any other churches. But when I heard these words from this pastor, I also felt freshly grateful for the ministry of our care groups that have been thriving during this time and helping.

To prevent the spike in these issues that we might have otherwise experienced. One person in our church wrote to me just this week and was giving praise to God for the way this has happened over the last 3 months. For them and their family, and they said, and I quote, at a time when so many have gone off the deep end, we have truly advanced, unquote. And they're not patting themselves on the back.

They were saying that as an expression of gratefulness to God for the ministry of the people of this church. And in their care group to steal from the words of Mordecai to Queen Esther. I think we can say that God has raised up our care groups for a time such as this. He has raised up our care group leaders, every one of them for a time such as this, and he has raised up each care group member for a time such as this, and I wanna thank every care group leader.

And every care group member for their role in turning this valley of weeping into a spring. For all of us And of course, none of these contributions from people that I've mentioned would have accomplished anything if God didn't show up and God did not send his reigns. Upon us in moments when we needed it. Week after week, our pastors and staff and elders have experienced highs and lows, and sometimes we have been left feeling utterly lost, but God has shown Himself faithful to this church.

He's provided the reins of wisdom from his word when that wisdom was needed, and he's come through for us in ways that are too numerous and in some cases too personal for me to even share. With you all this morning. All I can say is that I know more deeply than ever that God loves you. God loves Cornerstone.

Because I've seen his love manifested in the way that he has directed and carried us through as we have sought to serve you, the people of God. And we've seen him do the same in your life as he's used you to be a blessing to us as leaders and staff members every week, it's like we, we get done with Sunday and we're in staff meeting on Tuesday and we're just dazzled and amazed at how everything came together. How God caused everything to fall together and what ended up being produced on Sunday that was a blessing to people, and we rejoice in that only then to be faced with yet another week full of brand new challenges that take us sometimes to the depths of despair and crying out to God.

Yet every week God has showed up.

Every week, he has shown himself strong and wise and faithful and loving to us and to you in ways that we would have never gotten to see if God had not taken us through this valley of weeping. That these past 3 months have been And here we are This morning, after a 13 week journey, I am glad we're here. I'm glad that we're finally together. I'm glad to be gathered.

Together in this temple of the living God, that is you. Yet I will never forget the journey. I will never forget the precious ways that God sent His reigns a blessing. And exactly the moments when those rains were needed in order to turn this valley of weeping into the spring that it has been.

Two questions that I want to encourage you to ask. And ponder in your care group discussions this week. are number one, in what ways. Have the last 13 weeks been a valley of weeping for you?

In what ways have the last 13 weeks been a valley of weeping for you? And then number 2, in what ways has God Turned The last 13 week valley of weeping into a spring. For you. How has he used the people of God in your life?

What good rains has he sent? To you I am sure in your care group gathering, you're gonna be expressing joy that we're here today, and that's good. But don't forget the journey. Take some time to chronicle the journey and to celebrate God's goodness.

Over the past 13 weeks. God is not just being good today. He's been good to all of us over these past 13 weeks. And we should recount those things.

And be honest about the weeping. And also be thorough in chronicling the blessings that he's given to us as well. I would encourage you to read through the rest of Psalm 84. There's other ways that the psalmist responds to God in the Psalm upon arriving at the temple in Jerusalem.

He responds by praying to God. He responds by Pondering how valuable it is to be. At the temple of God rather than anywhere else doing anything else, and he ends on a note where he's just gazing at God. Who is a son, SUN and a shield.

To those who walk uprightly and who worship Him. In fact, look at the final words of the psalm and we'll close with this. He says in verse 80 Lord, God of hosts, hear my prayer. Give ear, O God of Jacob.

Behold our shield, oh God, and look upon the face of your Messiah. For a day in your courts is better than 1000 outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house. Of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness, for the Lord God is a son and shield.

The Lord gives grace and glory, and no good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. 00 Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in you. I love the sentiment of the psalmist. In verse 10, Talking about the courts of the Lord, that's not even the holy of holies, that's probably the outer court of the temple.

And then he's just talking about being in the door, at the door of the temple, not even in it, and he's like, I'd rather be here at the door in the courts, in the outer courts. than anywhere else. And guys, I'd rather be in this parking lot. Together with you This morning than anywhere else.

Thank you. And I hope all of us would rather be in a place like this together with one another in the temple of the living God which we are than in the. Tense of wickedness and perhaps it is appropriate that we are seated outside. Under the beautiful sun.

And closing by beholding God, saying, God is a son. And a shield Some of you When you came in this morning, you specifically measured, you did some calculations of where the sun is. And the direction the sun is moving. And you grab those spots.

Because you wanted to experience. The shielding of these solar panels. And that shielding is a blessing. And the sun being out today is also a blessing.

God is both of those to us. He is a son who warms. Our path and gives light to our path. And he's also a shield.

Who protects us And God is good, and we can all say together how blessed is the man. who trusts in God. And may that be our heart sentiment this morning. Let's pray together and give thanks.

To him Our Heavenly Father, we're so thankful for all that has come about that we would be gathered here today. We're so thankful for the work of so many that have even made the service possible. Thank you, Lord, and I thank you for all who are here today. In the seating area and those who have blessed us by just being present in their cars.

This is truly an epic moment. And an expression of your goodness. And Lord, as grateful as we are for this, we are just as grateful for the last 13 weeks and for all that you have done. To bless and to turn our valley of weeping into a spring.

And sending the pleasant and soothing and nourishing rains in the moments where those were most needed. Whether we are gathered together. Or apart Whether we are meeting indoors for a worship service or under quarantine. You are with us and you are good and you are a son and a shield and you never withhold any need for good.

From your people And we testify just as one of many congregations this morning before angelic principalities and powers that are listening in, we testify that you are good and you have been good to us. And we praise your name. And we do so, Lord, blessed at this reunion. But also looking ahead to the greater reunion to come.

When we know, Lord, we will be. Caught up in the clouds. Together with you and thus we will forever be with you, Lord Jesus. And what a gathering that will be.

And this small gathering today just simply points us To that grand gathering. That we look forward to, Lord. When we are with one another and fully glorified bodies. And can see you face to face.

With hearts of thankfulness for what you have done. Hearts of thankfulness for what we know you will do as our pilgrimage continues. And hearts of thankfulness for how we know our journey will end with you in glory when we see your face. We give thanks to you today.

In the name of Jesus, and all God's people said. Amen.