Dear Fellow Children of God,
We are experiencing unprecedented times because of COVID-19! When in memory have restaurants, bank lobbies, and parks closed? When in recorded history have Christian churches stopped meeting? There have been great epidemics before. I have read estimates that during the Middle Ages about a third of the European population died from the bubonic plague. I’ve read that an estimated 20 to 50 million people died world-wide during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. When the polio epidemic hit in the 1940’s and 50’s, many were affected, and even stayed home – SOME of the time. Yet, did people stop meeting all together? Did churches stop worshiping?
But now, the contagious nature of the coronavirus has our leaders recommending “social distancing.” In Gainesville, FL, where Kathy and I are in retirement right now, there is a “stay at home” order (which has various applications according to the governmental declaration) for Alachua County. In Alaska, those traveling home by air are required to observe a 14 day self-quarantine. People who are frail are keeping their distance from others. In some ways, people who are facing such forced isolation feel imprisoned. In some ways, we really are imprisoned.
But, I have spent many hours ministering to those actually in our prisons. Over 40 years of pastoral ministry, I often visited people who were incarcerated. St. John Lutheran in Palmer led worship once a month for 25 years at the Palmer Correctional Center, until it closed in September 2016. I learned some lessons from those in our correctional system.
One of the lessons which I learned is that “people ‘doing time’ ‘have time.’” When a person cannot go to work, when they cannot visit with family, when they cannot be involved in local community activities, they find other ways to fill their time. Those in prison, like many of us, don’t always make the best decisions on how to use their time. But, when I visited jails and prisons, I was primarily involved with people who were church members, or with those who participated in prison worship life. I saw these men (and sometimes women) make choices to be honest about their crimes, and choices to seek God’s help to change their lives. So, with free time on their hands, I watched men study Scripture, develop a prayer life, and grow habits of regular worship. When faced with “time” on their hands, time which they had not planned to have, they found ways to use it for their good, and for God’s glory.
As the Coronavirus progresses, as leaders make decisions about businesses and public gatherings, as our lives are changed and we have time on our hands, what can you do now that you do have this “unexpected free time?” What are those activities which you always wanted to do, but which you thought you were just too busy to be serious about, for which you now actually have time?
Have you always wanted to read your Bible, but you couldn’t the find time? Now we have the gift of time to study and learn the truths of God for our lives. Have you intended to develop the discipline of prayer, but you didn’t have time because of work or school? Now you have time to pray, to spend your minutes and hours sharing with your Heavenly Father all that is on your heart and mind. Now you also have time to listen to our Lord’s wise and loving answers.
Maybe you wanted to spend more time together as a family. In fact, many parents want their children to know about our Lord, but somehow have felt too busy for Church, or for Sunday School, or for teaching their children. (But, is there really anything more important than teaching our children about the love of God?) Last week a friend sent me an internet link for 100 printable coloring pages of Bible Stories for kids. So, imagine coloring one page a day, and talking about the story with your children, or with your grandchildren. (Please see link below.)
Perhaps you have wanted to put your Christian faith into action, to love and serve others the way Jesus has loved you. With social distancing, showing love to others may be hard to do. But, I expect you have friends who could use a phone call, and maybe they would let you pray with them over the phone. I’m sure there are volunteer opportunities that allow for social distancing.
In Colossians 4:5-6, God inspires Paul to write and instruct the people in the city of Colossae, in what is modern day Turkey, “5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. In other words, God has loved us in Jesus’ sacrificial life and death and resurrection. How can we use the opportunities we receive to respond to our Lord’s mercy and to share God’s love with other?
Last Saturday I helped with the video-taping of worship in the congregation which I am attending in Florida. Then, on Sunday morning, Kathy and I followed the liturgy, sang the hymns, and worshiped together, through the computer in our home. But, later that day we did something which Kathy said she thought I had never done on a Sunday morning - we went fishing! Because we had the time, we took this opportunity to enjoy God’s Creation. We didn’t catch any fish, but spending 4 hours together on the water, watching wildlife, was a real blessing.
God’s children often say, “We don’t have enough time.” For many of us, we now have the unexpected gift of time. How will you “make the most of this opportunity”, to grow, to worship, and to serve?
A Child of God, Seeking to Use the Coronavirus Epidemic as an OPPORTUNITY,
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Here is the e-mail I got from a friend about Bible Story coloring pages. “I don't know if this is worth forwarding to our/your members but it beats giving the kids a cell phone.”
100 Bible Coloring Sheets
[PRINTABLE]
Hi,
Hi,
Grab your crayons:
P.P.S. Italians make the most of their “social distancing” time as they sing “How Great is our God” to their neighbors. https://www.bibliatodo.com/En/christian-news/italians-praise-god-from-their-windows-how-great-is-our-god/?fbclid=IwAR04utOFx8V9z6FFjWzgThm6gUaFkO5uj5R8DUvaV1ITt0LzPmF79mn0z6Q
P.P.P.S. I have received a number of prayers during this time.
Here is a prayer from Dale Meyer, President of
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall
glorify me (Psalm 50:15).
Heavenly Father, we call upon You in our perplexity and need. We pray
that You will give wisdom to all in this crisis. For the medical community, we
ask Your abundant mercies upon their care for the sick who have been stricken
by this disease and for those who fear infection. For scientific researchers,
we beg You to give insights that lead to swift discoveries in research that
will mitigate this crisis. For our governmental leaders, we pray for reasoned
and persuasive presentations so that the general public will act with calm
discipline for the welfare of all. For those whose employment is curtailed or
eliminated, we pray for their aid through efficient governmental and faith
agencies of help. For our congregations and all the people of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod, we pray Your Spirit will give hope and reassurance that our holy faith
offers through Your Word and the ministry of the church. May we all lift up our
eyes to the hills, knowing that our help ultimately comes from You, “our very
present help in trouble.” And for us, the faculty, staff and students of
Concordia Seminary, we pray growth in humble and dependent faith, patience in
this tribulation, and hope and confidence because of all Your promises centered
in our living Lord Jesus Christ. In His saving name we humbly pray, Amen.
·
Here is a prayer I received from an Alaskan
Friend.
Dear God,
Would you give our leaders wisdom, discernment, and
strength. Keep them healthy, safe, and
rested so that they can guide us through this time.
Give our government leaders wisdom on how to stop the virus and stabilize
our economy.
Give our spiritual leaders Your discernment on how to meet people’s needs as
they glorify your name and encourage the Church.
Give our medical leaders insight into how to stop the virus. Strengthen their resolve and honr their hard
work in creating a treatment for COVID-19.
Give our civic leaders inspiration, courage, joy, and strength to meet the
needs of their communities.
And, help us, as leaders in our communities, to display courage, hope,
generosity, and kindness.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
P.P.P.P.S. I do continue to fish. I stay 6 feet away, and we have no more than 10 gathered at a time.
·
Here are some pictures of a day fishing with my brother, Stephen, on
Orange Lake, 3-19-2020. https://photos.app.goo.gl/36yhejSGsRyscXpC8
·
My wife said, in a Facebook
post, that she never remembers me fishing on a Sunday morning before. However, since worship was “online”, and
Kathy and I worshiped at 7:30 a.m., she then agreed to go fishing with me on
Sunday morning. Here are some
pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/s49L2qV7gG9gKags9
·
Here are some pictures of me
fishing with a “fishing buddy”, Randy. https://photos.app.goo.gl/DvXD65T9TxoswPp59
*****
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I am now retired as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran in Palmer, AK. This devotion was previously titled, "Thoughts from the Pastor." However, with life's changes I will now call it "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God." I am only sending this message to those who have asked o receive it. If you know someone else who desires to receive this message, have them e-mail me at jonrock53@mtaonline.net. You can also view this message on my Facebook page.
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WHY THEY ARE NO LONGER RECEIVING MY DEVOTIONS. Since I’m only sending these e-mails to people who ask for them, many are no longer receiving them. BUT, if you read this on Facebook and would like to receive them, or if you know someone who would like to receive these devotions, send me an e-mail at jonrock53@mtaonline.net, and I will add you to my distribution list.
No comments:
Post a Comment