To My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today, the hearts of every Christian, and indeed every person of good will, are broken by the tragic murders of 9 worshippers at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. As I prayed for the victims’ families, friends and for the Charleston community this morning, I felt the grief of the Lord’s Spirit joining me in my prayers.
As men and women were talking to Jesus, they were shot to death. No one, this side of heaven, can make sense of this! I take comfort in the thought that just as our Lord stood up from his throne when the first Christian martyr, Stephen, was killed, so he stood up on Wednesday evening to receive these 9 precious children of God into his Kingdom.
It is a tragic irony, that over the past two weeks leaders at Vineyard Columbus were engaged in multiple discussions to enhance our security at the church. What an awful time we live in! We consider the safety of the attenders at Vineyard to be a sacred stewardship. We will quickly implement additional security measures.
Sometimes God’s people need to come together in solidarity with those who are suffering. As the Apostle Paul exhorted us – we need to “grieve with those who grieve.” I would like to invite you to come together at Vineyard Columbus this evening, Friday, June 19th, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. for a time of prayer. I look forward to seeing you tonight.
With much love and sadness,
Rich Nathan