Living in Isolation
I hope that you all are doing well wherever
you're riding out social isolation. I know the media has been getting
contentious about the subject, but I want to assure you all that,
according to the best folks our national church has looking into things,
this sort of isolation from each other is the best way forward. Avoid
socialization with people outside your home whenever possible, keep
washing your hands before and after such contact when it happens, and
help us help our medical community to stay on top of this pandemic.
On the spiritual side of things, such isolation can be a real concern. After all, we count on each other, feed off of each other's spark and energy, so instead of being a series of slowly quenching embers, we can be a single, powerful flame. How do we do that when we are not meeting, even when the reason we are not meeting is to protect the weak and vulnerable among us?
The first and easiest thing to do is grab your directory and start making calls, and checking in with people. Even just a "Hi!" can be very helpful to someone who is feeling isolated. Write letters, post silly videos, do something to show people that the church, which has always been more than a pastor, is still out there, even if we aren't meeting.
Giving is also a special part of our experience, a real way to feel like we are connected to something larger than ourselves. As I tell you everytime we take the offering in worship, it isn't the act of buying our salvation, but rather a way of showing gratitude for what we have been given, or a way to copy the one who gave so much to us.
Finally, it is important to continue to participate in worship on your own. Sing, play, or listen to your favorite hymns. Set time aside for prayer. Read devotionals, or watch the numerous worship videos being generated on-line.
This is a difficult time for all of us, but we don't have to do it alone. The church, even when unable to gather, can still be a powerful tool for good, both in our own lives, the lives of our congregation, and in the world. For instance, the worship videos on our Facebook page have already reached more than two thousand people... not bad after a week and a few days!
Psalm 34:1-10
1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
and was saved from every trouble.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
9 O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
for those who fear him have no want.
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
A Prayer for the Day-
Holy God, we pray you will remember your children in isolation. Fill us up with your Holy Spirit, empower us to reach out from behind our walls and to connect with others, making us into a Great Cloud of Witness to your love, peace, and glory. Bless our nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers as they fight the disease, grant our leaders wisdom and mercy as they seek to guide us along wise paths for the good of all, and when we feel discouraged, or trapped, or hopeless, remind us of the prayer you taught us to pray, saying:
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our Sin,
As We forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But Deliver us from evil,
For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory Forever...
Amen.
Pastor Dan
On the spiritual side of things, such isolation can be a real concern. After all, we count on each other, feed off of each other's spark and energy, so instead of being a series of slowly quenching embers, we can be a single, powerful flame. How do we do that when we are not meeting, even when the reason we are not meeting is to protect the weak and vulnerable among us?
The first and easiest thing to do is grab your directory and start making calls, and checking in with people. Even just a "Hi!" can be very helpful to someone who is feeling isolated. Write letters, post silly videos, do something to show people that the church, which has always been more than a pastor, is still out there, even if we aren't meeting.
Giving is also a special part of our experience, a real way to feel like we are connected to something larger than ourselves. As I tell you everytime we take the offering in worship, it isn't the act of buying our salvation, but rather a way of showing gratitude for what we have been given, or a way to copy the one who gave so much to us.
Finally, it is important to continue to participate in worship on your own. Sing, play, or listen to your favorite hymns. Set time aside for prayer. Read devotionals, or watch the numerous worship videos being generated on-line.
This is a difficult time for all of us, but we don't have to do it alone. The church, even when unable to gather, can still be a powerful tool for good, both in our own lives, the lives of our congregation, and in the world. For instance, the worship videos on our Facebook page have already reached more than two thousand people... not bad after a week and a few days!
Psalm 34:1-10
1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
and was saved from every trouble.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
9 O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
for those who fear him have no want.
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
A Prayer for the Day-
Holy God, we pray you will remember your children in isolation. Fill us up with your Holy Spirit, empower us to reach out from behind our walls and to connect with others, making us into a Great Cloud of Witness to your love, peace, and glory. Bless our nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers as they fight the disease, grant our leaders wisdom and mercy as they seek to guide us along wise paths for the good of all, and when we feel discouraged, or trapped, or hopeless, remind us of the prayer you taught us to pray, saying:
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our Sin,
As We forgive those who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But Deliver us from evil,
For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory Forever...
Amen.
Pastor Dan
Comments
Post a Comment