#6 Moments of Hope with Pastor Jerry Rice

Churches across the country are unable to meet together physically right now. We are so thankful for our beautiful sanctuary where we gather on a weekly basis, and we believe that having a place to come together for worship is important. But even though we can’t gather in our building right now, we can still be the Church. And what is the Church if not the body of Christ, a fellowship of believers who pray, worship, and serve together. God is the God of the masses, but he is also the God of the individual. Jesus spoke to thousands of people at one time, but he also went out of his way to speak to people on a one-on-one basis like when he talked to the woman at the well. Psalms 139:17 says “How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me.” If it means so much to us that God is thinking about us as individuals, it would also mean a lot for others to know that we are thinking about them. How can we be the Church in a time like this when our normal way of ministry has been changed? Here are a few practical suggestions:
1. Pray for yourself. Pray for others. Pray for the country. Pray for the world.
2. Call someone who lives alone to see how they are doing.
3. Pick up groceries for an elderly or immunosuppressed person so that they do not have to leave their home and risk infection.
4. Send someone a note that you are thinking about them.
5. Send teachers, grocery workers, healthcare workers, or others a thank you note for the work they are doing.
6. Support local businesses that are struggling by ordering online.
7. Send an expecting mother a gift since she is unlikely to have a normal shower right now.
8. Have a nightly prayer and Bible reading time with your family.
9. Watch an online service on Sunday morning.
10. Make the most of the extra time you have with your family.
Let’s show the world the unsurpassable love of Christ, even if it has to be from a distance. If you have any prayer requests, feel free to write them in the comments so that we can pray for each other’s needs even though we are physically separated. Don’t underestimate what God can do in the midst of an unusual situation.