|
 Over the past few days, we have heard politicians and doctors tell us, “do not panic.” It’s one of those mantras that is easier said than lived. Sometimes when someone tells us to not panic, the natural reaction in us is to panic. Telling someone “just trust,” or “don’t be worried” hardly ever is enough to cause them to trust or not be worried. Usually, the ability to not worry comes from a place of personal security or trust in something greater than what is before you.
Throughout the scriptures, in the midst of life’s crazy and uncertain circumstances, we are implored countless times to practice being still before God. The psalmist reminds us, “be still, and know that I am God,” and to “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” Job cries out to God, “Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand .” Mark tells about a time in which the storms of life were wreaking calamity, and Jesus just stands up and simply says “be still,” and with that God’s presence silenced the storm and sea. It is in this reality, Paul reminds the struggling church in Philippi, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” When we are struggling, and comfort is gone, we must trust in something greater than what is before us.
When we practice being still before God, we are learning to trust in something greater than what is going on around us. We practice sitting in God’s presence, perhaps with scriptures or songs of worship, prayers or just clearing our minds. This act is one we do intentionally and undistracted, praising God for who God is, gratefully recalling the ways we have already witnessed God’s provisional hand in the past, and learning to surrender ourselves and current struggles to God’s care. In trying times, practicing this act of being still before God is especially essential (not that it isn’t other times as well). It helps us not worry, even when we do not have the safety of personal security before us, we remind ourselves to place trust in the secure and provisional hand of God.
Another important aspect of sitting still before God is remembering to pray. We are to pray not only for your circumstances but also for the struggles of others. Paul tells the church in Ephesus, that they were to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” He encourages them, “be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” In this vein, I implore you, on this occasion, to sit still before God this week and intentionally pray for the Lord’s people, as we are experiencing life in the midst of some uncertain circumstances, an array of confusion, and various health implications. I too have been praying for each one of you.
|
We’re certainly experiencing life in the midst of some uncertain circumstances, an array of confusion, and various health implications. We are all wrestling through a new norm of living as we adjust to governmental induced shutdowns and the threats of COVID-19. If the past few days are any indicator of what lies ahead, we will face many changes to our communal and social lives.
We are aware that many churches in our area have closed for the next two weeks, and we are committed to following the school systems, but we will continue to prayerfully discern our next steps week by week. Our decision to not hold our worship gathering today was about making the responsible choice to protect the health of our older members and those with compromised immune systems. It is also a way of limiting the opportunity for the disease to spread and to hopefully prevent an overload on our local health systems. Thank you for your commitment to each other and to understanding the hard discernment we had to make at this time.
If we have to cancel next week, we will once again communicate that in advance, but our Ministry Team will live stream a short Sunday morning time of worship and devotion that you can watch from the comfort of your homes. In the meantime, you can tithe and listen to other messages online. The URL will be communicated to you in advance. You should be able to watch live through our WEBSITE, FACEBOOK, and YOUTUBE. We are working on making any lifestream both home computer, tablet, and mobile phone compatible. 