We Live In Interesting Times
The Pastor’s Ruminations during the Coronavirus, COVID19

May 20, 2020

We began these online visits look at Isaiah 40 - 45. I did not have a focus on chapter 41. I will today.

It’s good to remember what is happening here. Israel has been taken captive by Babylon. Their nation is no more. They have every (human, earthly) reason to despair.

In the midst of that God promises, ““Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” Isaiah 41:10.

These people’s lives hadn’t been inconvenienced. They had lost everything and been completely uprooted. God uses these chapters to remind them that their hope and stay and certainty was in Him, not life around them.

“Lord God of Heaven, cause us to be settled because you are our God, because it is you Who strengthens us, helps us and holds us up. Amen.”

* * * * * * * *

We intend to begin meeting together again on May 31.

These are our plans:

May 31, Church Service, 10:30 AM, no nursery.

June 7, Church Service with Communion, 10:30 AM. We will offer a nursery this day.

June 14, we will begin our regular Sunday morning schedule with Sunday School, nursery and worship service. WE WILL NOT OFFER CHILDREN’S CHURCH UNTIL FALL.

All kinds of questions will come into our minds:

Do we wear masks? You decide. I will wear a mask in deference to those who believe we should. I will not wear it while I preach.

How do we practice social distancing? Use wisdom. Members of the same household should be comfortable together, but otherwise, look around and be careful.

Do we hug and shake hands? If you’re comfortable doing that DO NOT assume others are. Exercise deference and caution.

Will we sing? Yes. One caution is to remove hymnals. We will not do that, and here is why: Coronavirus has a short life on surfaces. A person will use an hymnal. A week later that hymnal is not going to be contagious. I hate to say this, but wisdom might suggest we sing “looking down” instead of “looking up.” Horrible, horrible, horrible, but perhaps prudent!

Mostly I want us to do this, dear people. We must recognize that we will have differences of opinion and allow one another to live within the parameters of personal conscience. If you’re uncomfortable being around people who do not do things the way you feel they should be done, please gladly and in good conscience exercise your Christian freedom to stay away until such a time as you’re more comfortable. If your immune system is compromised in some way, please stay away without guilt. If you are in some particularly dangerous demographic concerning COVID19, please stay away without guilt. Those of us who will be here, we will not dare sit in judgement on other’s choice to stay away.

Briefly, we’ll practice our most current sermons from I Corinthians, won’t we?! If you need a refresher, you can listen to the sermons from I Corinthians 8 - 10 online.