This opening letter welcomes you back to the next edition of the Crimson Cord Journal, but it also welcomes me back too! I’ve been absent for most of the last 18 months, as our family welcomed our second set of identical twins. And since our last edition of the Journal , your life has undoubtedly also seen and clashed with its challenges. After an exhausting season, it can seem hard to maintain zeal for the house of the Lord.And yet, this edition reminds us all that worship is our goal. Cross-culturally, or still in the same pew, worship is our universal and human endeavor. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God . The COVID era rattled our traditions and opinions of going to worship with brothers and sisters in the Lord. And where have we landed since then?No further from the truth than where we started. We are commanded not to neglect gathering to worship , and after lock-downs and restrictions, returning to church probably felt exhilarating and refreshing. And yet, our memories fade fast and habits can dull our fervor. We might find ourselves in the same congregation in Ezekiel’s time, in which they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it . We are always at risk of sitting in our services with dull ears and stony hearts and lazy feet, with or without germs or distancing or internet services or vaccines. Our real trouble is not only in these outward things which afflict us, but the inner dilemmas of our heart and mind and our constant struggle for holiness. Despite the best COVID could do , nothing has actually changed. Our hardest plague is within.And yet within the eye of the hurricane, we can be at peace and be still. God is still our God, the Word remains true and pure, and worship is still our priority. We hope this edition helps you, as it has helped us, to open ears and soften hearts and unfetter feet. We hope zeal for the Lord’s house will consume you, as it consumed our Lord when He walked upon this earth .So welcome back. We are glad you are here.Briana, for the Team
This opening letter welcomes you back to the next edition of the Crimson Cord Journal, but it also welcomes me back too! I’ve been absent for most of the last 18 months, as our family welcomed our second set of identical twins. And since our last edition of the Journal , your life has undoubtedly also seen and clashed with its challenges. After an exhausting season, it can seem hard to maintain zeal for the house of the Lord.And yet, this edition reminds us all that worship is our goal. Cross-culturally, or still in the same pew, worship is our universal and human endeavor. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God . The COVID era rattled our traditions and opinions of going to worship with brothers and sisters in the Lord. And where have we landed since then?No further from the truth than where we started. We are commanded not to neglect gathering to worship , and after lock-downs and restrictions, returning to church probably felt exhilarating and refreshing. And yet, our memories fade fast and habits can dull our fervor. We might find ourselves in the same congregation in Ezekiel’s time, in which they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it . We are always at risk of sitting in our services with dull ears and stony hearts and lazy feet, with or without germs or distancing or internet services or vaccines. Our real trouble is not only in these outward things which afflict us, but the inner dilemmas of our heart and mind and our constant struggle for holiness. Despite the best COVID could do , nothing has actually changed. Our hardest plague is within.And yet within the eye of the hurricane, we can be at peace and be still. God is still our God, the Word remains true and pure, and worship is still our priority. We hope this edition helps you, as it has helped us, to open ears and soften hearts and unfetter feet. We hope zeal for the Lord’s house will consume you, as it consumed our Lord when He walked upon this earth .So welcome back. We are glad you are here.Briana, for the Team