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"Worship is the most important thing we do." That saying predates my almost 10 years at JCPC. Last Sunday we began offering Sunday worship online. Worshiping online is different from worshipping on Sundays with the JCPC congregation. I miss all of you! It is not the same without you. I am already looking forward to the time when we can gather again in the same space to worship God. But until then, we will worship together in this virtual space online.
As we all know, these are challenging times. It would do no good to pretend otherwise. When people are facing death, severe illness, the loss of jobs, and an overall disruption of the normal patterns of life -- things are not the way they should be. I pray for all of those who are working hard to bring healing, wholeness, and a return to normalcy. We mourn with those who mourn. We grieve with those who suffer loss.
However, I wonder if there might be something good that emerges in these not-so-good times. As we practice social distancing, and as some in our nation are experiencing lockdown, how might we use this time well? For those of us who were too busy, can we now find time to do some new things that are important?
Psalm 46 begins with these words: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, . . . He [the Lord] says, 'Be still, and know that I am God.'" (Psalm 46:1-2a, 10a, NIV) Many of us now have the time to "Be still" -- whether we like it or not. I want to invite you to make the best of this "Be still" time. Set aside some of this time to pray, to read scripture, and to listen for the still, small voice of God. Resist filling up your time staring at screens every waking minute. Record your thoughts in a journal. And reach out to your neighbor with some caring act -- though you may have to use and learn about some technology to do this.
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