I originally wrote this as an article for the Family Life (the news letter for the Church of Christ in Falls Church, VA.) on April 5th 2020 but I feel it has a message for everyone during the Covid-19 virus pandemic.
As I write this on Tuesday March 31st 2020, it has been at least 3 Sundays since we have met together face to face as a church. We have sat at home participating in our worship service from home. We have been physically separated from each other for good reason but we are together in spirit!
This separation has been made a little easier thanks to modern communication technology. Our Member Emergence Care Program has made it a goal to contact every member by phone. The Upper Room Teen Ministry is having VURMs (Virtual Upper Room Meetings) twice a week using Zoom. The Wednesday evening class is also using Zoom too! There are also members who are regularly calling, texting and messaging each other. It is important for us all to be reaching out and checking on each other at these times.
This virtual contact can only go so far. We want and desire to meet face to face. The apostle John felt the same way. He did not have the ability to use a camera and screen to meet but he did write letters. In what we call 2nd and 3rd John he expresses this desire.
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. - 2nd John :12 (The New International Version. 2011)
I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. - 3 John :13 - :14 (The New International Version. 2011)
We feel the same way John does. There is a certain happiness in seeing each other over Facetime, Skype or Zoom but we want that complete JOY he is writing about. Sometime in the near future we will gather together as a church in our building and experience that complete joy. This will be more than just a momentarily feeling of happiness but a long lasting joy.
For now we need to stay home to keep ourselves and others safe from Covid19. Like I wrote last time you aren’t alone because we are together in the Spirit. You are with us and we are with you in the Spirit! This is still true today!
x
As I write this on Tuesday March 31st 2020, it has been at least 3 Sundays since we have met together face to face as a church. We have sat at home participating in our worship service from home. We have been physically separated from each other for good reason but we are together in spirit!
This separation has been made a little easier thanks to modern communication technology. Our Member Emergence Care Program has made it a goal to contact every member by phone. The Upper Room Teen Ministry is having VURMs (Virtual Upper Room Meetings) twice a week using Zoom. The Wednesday evening class is also using Zoom too! There are also members who are regularly calling, texting and messaging each other. It is important for us all to be reaching out and checking on each other at these times.
This virtual contact can only go so far. We want and desire to meet face to face. The apostle John felt the same way. He did not have the ability to use a camera and screen to meet but he did write letters. In what we call 2nd and 3rd John he expresses this desire.
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. - 2nd John :12 (The New International Version. 2011)
I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. - 3 John :13 - :14 (The New International Version. 2011)
We feel the same way John does. There is a certain happiness in seeing each other over Facetime, Skype or Zoom but we want that complete JOY he is writing about. Sometime in the near future we will gather together as a church in our building and experience that complete joy. This will be more than just a momentarily feeling of happiness but a long lasting joy.
For now we need to stay home to keep ourselves and others safe from Covid19. Like I wrote last time you aren’t alone because we are together in the Spirit. You are with us and we are with you in the Spirit! This is still true today!
x
No comments:
Post a Comment