I’m thinking maybe it’s time to start blogging again…
I’m thinking I could do a daily devotion at 6am every morning but then I would have to get up and fix my hair…and that would probably be the time I would struggle to get out of bed in time to go live at 6am…
I’m thinking maybe it’s time to resurrect Three Minute Thursdays again…
I’m thinking that we may just be communicating more than we ever have before…
We are in week 3 of this pandemic called Coronavirus and people are being told to stay home and practice social distancing in order to stop the spread of this virus. One of my favorites so far is the people who are out and about and complaining about the people who are out and about. It reminds me of the one who says, “put down the social media and do something worthwhile.” Some of you will get that later…
Most church gatherings have been canceled in order to keep people safe. I will be the first to admit that while I was concerned about not having services, I’m smart enough to know there is more than one way to have church. In the first place, we are the church, the church is not a building. And don’t quote to me, “Where two or three are gathered together,” because if you do, there is a good chance you haven’t read that whole passage and that you have taken it out of context. That passage would make a great Three Minute Thursday topic… (I’m shameless in my promotion of TMT by RGC)
I have to admit when this thing started I just thought we would be told to hunker down for a while and two weeks later everything would be back to normal. We are now in week 3 and to be honest there is no end in sight. All of the dine in restaurants are closed, some are still doing take out only but that number is dwindling the longer we stay in this place. The movie theaters are closed, all of the barber shops and beauty salons are closed and even the nail salons are closed. Most of the governmental offices are closed to the public and only accessible through appointment only. This is a big deal when you live in my county and there is great unrest among the people right now with the talk of taxes being raised and with discussion of the farmers Land Use Tax. I have heard and it was on Facebook so it must be true that some of the local banks had run out of money a couple of times over the past two weeks with people in panic mode talking their money and putting it in hiding someplace. Some believe that if this thing gets worse that cash will once again be king.
Churches have stepped up to the challenge and most of us are offering live sermons not just on Sunday mornings but at several other times during the week. You can’t stop a preacher from spreading the Word, that’s just what we do. The picture I used in this blog post makes me smile every time I see it. “And just like that, Pastor David and I became Televangelists.” That is honestly hilarious.
For our three churches we are doing a live sermon on Sunday mornings at 10am, a Zoom Bible Study on Tuesday evenings at 730pm, an update and bible study along with a separate Recovery message from Kevin on Wednesday afternoons, and then another update and brief bible study on Friday afternoons. We are having great success with people viewing these videos. We are smart enough to know that some of this is due to the fact that many people are stuck at home and they are tired of watching television and looking at Facebook and twitter. But the other thing we know is people are listening. Not just listening to us and other preachers, but listening to see what God is saying to us in and through this storm called Coronavirus.
I’m thinking when this is all over…when will that be? When this is all over, many people will go right back to doing what they were doing before the storm that began here in America for us just over two weeks ago. But for some, depending on how long this lasts and depending on who is listening for God’s voice, for some, we won’t return to business as usual. Matter of fact, I think many things will never be the same.
I’m thinking during this time we should be wise and follow the advise of the medical professionals to practice social distancing. I’m thinking we should count our blessings and stay home as much as possible, not just so we don’t get sick but so others don’t get sick. I’m thinking it is a time for us to get some rest, to read, to exercise, to enjoy family, either those in the home or through social media and phone. I think it’s time to pray for those on the front lines who can’t stay home. The police officers, doctors, nurses, EMS, firefighters, those who work in the jails and prisons, and the list goes on and on. If you don’t have to be out, be thankful and stay home for the sake of others.
This is not the end of the world…or is it? Many people believe this is the beginning of the end. Jesus said there would be trials and tribulations and I believe these would qualify. I’m not making any predictions but I’m ready when God is ready.
My final Monday thought is this. If you don’t follow Jesus, there is no better time than the present. If you have followed but stopped at some point or grew cold in your relationship with Him, there is no better time than now to foster that close relationship again.
These are just my thoughts, the things that have swirled through my mind as I read my bible and had my coffee this morning. I’ll possibly do it again on Tuesday, but only of you’ll come and read it…
Please leave a comment, a question, a topic for Three Minute Thursdays, but no snide comments 🙂
Ronnie