In light of the impending emergency road conditions due to this weekend’s snowstorm and resulting accumulation, ALL SERVICES AT ANTIOCH ARE CALLED OFF FOR THIS COMING LORD’S DAY, FEBRUARY 1.
Remember & Keep Holy the Lord’s Day
Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy by engaging in private and family worship suitable to the Lord’s Day. Snowy Lord’s Days present great opportunities for extended Bible reading, prayer time, meditation in communion with God, the singing of psalms and hymns, and other devotional or theological reading. There are many good free online materials listed on our Resources page here. Also, consider picking up a good Christian biography if you have one in your home library. Dr. Pipa has been reading a biography of Puritan Bible commentator Matthew Henry, for example. I recently read through the biography of the nineteenth centuryPresbyterian missionary John Leighton Wilson with great benefit.
Speaking of Matthew Henry, I strongly recommend taking advantage of his Method for Prayer, which is accessible online here: https://www.matthewhenry.org/. You can sign up for daily prayers taken from this helpful guide, or you can browse the different topics on your own. This book is also available in .epub or Kindle format, though the free website itself is pretty well laid out, and the daily email option is really convenient. Another great resource for prayer is the collection of Puritan prayers, Valley of Vision, available online here: https://banneroftruth.org/us/devotional-series/the-valley-of-vision-devotional/.
We are happy to recommend the following livestreams for churches and worship services likely not to be affected by winter weather cancellations: Independent Presbyterian Church (Savannah, GA), Midway Presbyterian Church (Powder Springs, GA), Tenth Presbyterian Church (Philadelphia, PA), Christ Church Presbyterian (Mount Pleasant, SC. Service times are available on the websites linked-to here.
Finally, I would personally recommend this sermon from Dr. Michael Reeves on Isaiah 8:11–13, entitled “Our Fears and the Fear of the Lord,” embedded below. Dr. Reeves teaches at the Union School of Theology in London, England, and he has excellent publications on the doctrine of the Trinity, what it means to fear God, and other subjects of theological and practical interest. Weather events and extended absence from the corporate gathering of God’s people can distract us from the glory and goodness of God, making us susceptible to temptation from worldly fears. It is especially important that we take time, whether together or apart, to set our minds on things above, dwelling upon and delighting in the beauty, power, and grace of God our Creator and Redeemer.
Please Exercise Caution & Be Safe
We encourage all members and friends of Antioch to exercise extreme caution if/when traveling is necessary, and to take the following precautions, as recommended by the Presbyterian Church in America’s Mission to North America Disaster Response team for last week’s ice storm:
Take common sense measures in case of power outages, charge all your devices, have some battery powered lights, alternate means of cooking, stock up on food/ water and check with family members/ neighbors to make sure they have what they need. One big issue could be frozen pipes: maintain heat at 55 or higher, disconnect hoses and cover hose spigots, open cabinet doors on sinks, have water drip from a faucet to keep water moving, insulate/cover any exposed pipes in unheated areas, know where your water shut-off valve is located and test it to confirm it fully closes. Also make sure your vehicles have gas and are parked where trees or branches won’t fall on them.
If you have any questions or emergent needs relating to this weather event, please do not hesitate to contact our church office at info@antiochpca.com.
