Church,
Wow, what a difference a week makes. Last Sunday we had a great day. At 9:00 we had our ordination and commissioning service for four men into our deacon ministry. We now have six godly men serving in that capacity. At 10:15, we had a wonderful service together. It was truly a time of celebration for our church. As I shared, God is doing great things in this church and we are positioned well for the future. And then Monday happened. With each news conference we watched, there was the realization that life was going to be disrupted. At first, the Kansas governor said they were going to limit gatherings to no more than 50. We quickly began to think about doing two services to accommodate. However, that was short-lived. Within the hour, the President and his team were announcing guidelines to limit groups to no more than 10. The local authorities, including Johnson County jumped on board with that within a day. There was confusion as to whether churches would be exempted or not. At that point, it really didn’t matter. By all appearances that was quickly going to become the norm. By Thursday, they clarified it to include churches. They also extended it from 15 days to May 1st. In the midst of that, I called for a meeting with the church council and deacons to discuss our options. There wasn’t much point to debate closing the church building to services. That much was evident. However, we knew this was also an opportunity to do ministry in a new way with the hope of reaching more people. I will share more of that with you during the message on Sunday. It will be available on our Facebook page and our website. How’s that for a way to entice you to actually watch the service?
One thing I wanted to talk about this morning is the rapid changes that occurred and the decisions that were made. A couple of people have asked how I am doing with all of this. Obviously, the last thing I wanted to do was stop meeting together in person as the body of Christ. That is so vital to the health of any Christian. Nevertheless, that is what needed to happen for however long this pandemic lasts. It has been a week filled with changes and decisions. Did I want to talk with Pastor Steve and discuss cancelling the sermon series he has been working on? No, of course not. However, we both agreed it is better for me to preach during this time. Did I want to preach on a video to an empty sanctuary? No, but that is now the best means to communicate the message to our church. Did I want to stop our services on Wednesday and Sunday evenings? Again, no. But it had to be done. Did I want to tell a beloved friend that they should not be out so much since they are in a very vulnerable age group? No, it is not a conversation that I wanted to have but felt that it was important for health reasons. Do I want to not pick up the kids, haul them around and hang out with them? No, but again that is what should be done.
I guess the point is this, in the midst of a crisis, when things are changing rapidly, decisions must be made. I am glad that there are a group of people that I can rely upon to evaluate these things. There truly is wisdom in a multitude of counselors. There is also a sense of peace knowing that in the midst of a storm, Jesus is there with you and is seeking to lead you through it. I know that some of you are very anxious, maybe even on the verge of panic. That is understandable since known of us have gone through anything quite like this before. It is unsettling how fast things are changing. Some are wondering if things will ever be the same. At this point, many think that after a month or two, it will be just a bad memory. I am not a prophet, but I don’t think things will return to normal quite that quickly. Only time will tell. Here is what I do know: Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He never changes. His Word never changes. His plan of salvation never changes. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Focus on loving God and loving others. As we do, He will reveal how we can impact our community and change the world during this extraordinary period of time.
You are loved and are being prayed for!
Pastor Larry
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