April 6th update

Greetings Oak Hill Church
            I would venture to guess that there are a lot of us that could really benefit from some good news. In these unique days in which we are living due to the coronavirus pandemic, it seems like there is quite a lot of bad news out there. Every time I go on social media, open up my internet browser, or turn on the TV, I am reminded of the myriad of negativity that seems to be mounting. As the reality of this “new normal” sets in, it can be easy to become discouraged. And yet, even in the midst of hardship, difficulties, and uncertainties, there are noticeable blessings that take place every day. The warming sunshine of spring, the green grass starting to peek through winter’s thaw, songbirds in the trees, a turkey taking a stroll through my backyard, playing board games or wrestling with my kids, 3-D animals on Google, living this “every day is a new day” life with my wife. Even in the midst of bad news, there is good news.
            In Isaiah 61, we see another example of this. The people of Israel had been longing for things to be made right, they had been waiting for the Promised One that would come set them free, they were in need of some good news. In the opening verses to this chapter, the prophet Isaiah captures this reassuring word from the Lord that brings this much-needed good news to some desperate ears. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released, and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.” (Isaiah 61:1-2 NLT)
            Now, obviously, Isaiah was not talking about himself. Rather, he was talking about someone else…someone that would be coming to bring this good news to the people. In the Gospel of Luke, we read of Jesus going into the synagogue on the Sabbath and He was asked to read Scripture. He took a scroll that was of the book of Isaiah and He turned to this specific chapter and read these exact words. After He was finished, we read that Jesus looked at those who had gathered there and He said, “Today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing…” Essentially, what Jesus was declaring was that He was the One that was written about in this passage. He would be the One to comfort those who were broken down by bad news. He would be the One to free those who were held captive and imprisoned by sin. He would be the One to declare Good News to everyone.
            As we enter into this Holy Week, we are entering into a week that is full of good news! Yesterday, we remembered Jesus coming into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey. We saw Him enter humble and focused on His mission at hand; His purpose for coming to this Earth. He came to take away sin. He came to truly set us free from all the prisons we had locked ourselves into because of our rebellion against God. He came to make things right and to make a way for us to be in God’s family. His life, His death, and His resurrection would be the ultimate showcase of God’s love and devotion to us. Now, if that isn’t good news then I don’t know what is!
 
Connecting Lives in Grace and Truth

Holy Week Service

• This year, we will be recording one midweek service that can be viewed beginning Thursday evening. We pray that this service would be a resource and encouragement to you leading up to Easter Sunday
• You can access this online service on our YouTube channel or on our website
• There will be a short Bible study that we encourage you to participate in prior to your viewing of this service. Look for a separate email with these details.

Easter Sunday

• Join us for an Easter Sunday online worship service at 10:30 am
• Live stream at 10:30 am with the video being posted on YouTube and our website following the live stream

RightNow Media

• Sign up for your subscription through our website to access Holy Week devotionals, Bible studies, and videos throughout the week during this Easter season

Giving

• If paying by check, please mail directly to the church office at 8901 France Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55431
• Give online on our website through Planning Center Giving. When signing up, one recommendation would be set up and give through ACH (your bank or credit union) rather than a debit or credit card. The per transaction fee is slightly higher when giving with a debit or credit card. We want to make you aware of this up front as we know that many of you giving in this way want as much of your donation to go toward Oak Hill as possible when utilizing this platform.

Community Involvement

• Keep in mind that there are still several ways to support and serve people in your communities during this time.
• Hospitality Center for Chinese is looking for virtual conversation partners and check-ins with Chinese students and their families at the University of Minnesota.
• Help at Your Door is also looking for shoppers at the Bloomington Cub Foods for those that are unable to shop for themselves during this time.
  
  

Online Trivia Night

• Thursday, April 16 at 8:00 pm on Facebook Live
• More details to follow

In Grace and Truth,
​Pastor Ben and the Oak Hill Elders