March 18 – “The next step”

It was fully my intention to stay away from Coronavirus news this morning.  Look how that worked out …  Just a quick update.  Galveston County officially had our first case of Covid-19 community spread.  As I understand it, that just means he doesn’t know where he got it.  It was inevitable, I suppose.  As a result, the mayor of Galveston, in a still-unprecedented move, ordered all our local entertainment venues to shut down and our restaurants and bars to close off seating and only offer to-go service.  That means things like Moody Gardens and the Pleasure Pier are closed.  Period.  The idea was to prevent Houstonians who don’t have anything to do there from coming down here.  Yep.  I actually read that in the paper this morning.  Grocery stores are still open. 

With this announcement and the CDC changing its recommendations to avoid groups of ten or more, it is with a heavy heart that I announce we will be canceling our home group Bible study for the next few weeks.  Dianne is planning to attempt a broadcast of some kind for the Friday ladies’ Bible study.  Double-check with her for more details.  And check with Bob about plans for the men’s group on Wednesdays. 

                                                            

And here’s the part that weighs on my heart even more.  As far as Sunday church is concerned, we will not be holding services for the next two weeks.  I am signed up to be a part of a webcast at eleven this morning to learn about the possibility of doing some kind of on-line teaching on Sunday.  I will update later about how that goes.  At the end of the two weeks Jim and I will revisit the situation and hopefully resume worshipping together.

In the meantime …

Keep on keeping up with each other.  We still need each other.  We still need the intimacy of the Body, especially when we are not together physically.  Make some phone calls – FaceTime, even.  Rev up that old email account.  Text each other.  Share TV shows you discover. 

Use what seems to be time alone to acknowledge that you are not alone.  Spend some time with God.  Pray for each other.  Pray for me.  I know I need it. 

Here’s an idea.  Do a Jesus Bomb.  Read through each of the Gospels.  They all tell the same story, each from a different perspective.  Here’s a good order and a bit of what to expect:

Mark: This is the shortest one.  It was written to the Romans who didn’t have time for a lot of detail.  Expect a lot of phrases like “at once,” as he jumps from one action scene to the next. 

Matthew: On the other hand, this book was written to the Jews.  It will have mentions of things that are specific to Jewish culture, like their holy days and practices.

Luke: This one was written to the Greeks, or pagans.  Luke was the real historian of the bunch, so he did a lot of research.  For example, from that research he includes stories from the perspective of Jesus’ mother.  He also continues his writing in the book of Acts, a history of the early church after Jesus ascends to heaven.

John: Here’s the tough one.  John wrote to confound a group of heretics called the Gnostics.  They taught that Jesus wasn’t actually real, and they used mystical, strange language.  John turns their language back on them and presents Jesus as really God and really human.  Remember, too, that John describes himself as “the apostle whom Jesus loved.”  He loves to talk about love.  He also wrote some other books in the New Testament.  They are clustered toward the back.  His three letters are simple, yet profound love treatises.  He’s also the guy who wrote the last book of the Bible.  That one takes some explanation, though.

Keep on giving.  I’m not just talking about money to the church.  You can do that, too.  Mail it in or drop it off with Cathy or Lauren or me.  We’ll get it deposited.  But I mean give of yourself.  Now, don’t go putting yourself or others in harm’s way.  If you are sick or in one of the at-risk populations, stay home (My son informed Chris and me yesterday that in spite of what we might think, we are in that at-risk population group.  Chris replied, “So, are you calling us old?”  Well, for the purposes of this particular weird situation, I guess we are).  With that said, understand that we will have some Seasiders who will be living under quarantine, whether they want to or not.  See if they need groceries.  Or a prescription pick-up.  Do a surprise drive-by drop-off of goodies – cookies or crossword puzzle books or fresh fruit.  Be creative. 

And finally, keep your head up.  Stay positive.  We’ll get through this.  I know I keep returning to this verse of scripture, but it’s the one God keeps pushing me to …

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Father, please keep walking with us through this craziness.  We trust you.  Amen.