But today, I was blessed. The church I've been attending didn't seem to have loaded any sort of service link and my previous church were hosting their service via Facebook which I don't have. Fatdormouse, Alison, sent me the link to her church service in France but I woke late and couldn't get Zoom to download onto my computer. I was pondering what to do and then my friend Becky on Instagram posted her church link to her service and it was Youtube live which I COULD stream.
I was so relieved to be able to find a church service and so happy to see the pastor, that I confess to shedding a tear. But the service was brilliant! I am so grateful to the Sutton Vineyard team who posted such a wonderful service. The sermon was really, really, real, practical and helpful. I can't put it so succinctly as Jason, the pastor put it, so I have shared the youtube video here.
Sutton Vineyard has a dedicated Corona page.
Right now we need to do three things:
- Adjust
- Invest
- Engage
Adjustment: right now we have a new norm. Things are changing and we need to anchor ourselves together in the storm that is happening. Be responsible, do the right thing. Be sensible. Connect in places like churches. Accept that we are in the storm and it is ok to be scared but Jesus can take us from fear to faith. God has not abandoned us. Isaiah 30 v18-30
Investment: We need to decide what we are going to do with our time. Are we going to invest our time in futile things that cause us to fear or spend time doing good things? The now is the time to invest in our time with God. Do things differently, let go of things that are keeping us from God and pray, give things away, give financially if we can, spend time hearing God.
Engagement: As a church, 'go out' (metaphorically of course) and be agents of his kingdom- take the opportunities to live differently. Engage with those who need help. Think of how wonderful it will be when we can meet again. The early church could not get together because of oppression but they grew!
The lovely thing was, when I posted to Becky that I was so grateful and I have felt truly uplifted by the service, she invited me to join in with her small group prayer. I managed to make Zoom work and it was so exciting to see all these new faces (plus Becky) on the screen and share in prayer and positivity together. It was a wonderful time. We'd all lit candles in our windows to acknowledge world day of prayer.
I am thankful for community aided by technology!
This is my Pause for Lent with Ang et al.
xx.
P.S. Please can you let me know if there is anything specific you would like prayer for.
Thank you Kezzie. Check the flour for any infestation (little black dots) and then if its clear, use it anyway. It won't be quite as good as fresh, but will still be edible. Don't waste it. I would value prayers for my granddaughter Rosie. She is 4 and has been really good during this week of being at home, but she is really starting to miss her little friends.
ReplyDeleteYes, food waste is even more of an issue. I've emailed my son and daughter to check how many MEALS they have in their homes; daughter is self isolating for 14 days, working from home because her driving instructor has become unwell, and son for 7 days as he has a cold. 'I've got 7 days of food' he said. A calmly as I could I suggested he should increase his reserves a little..!
ReplyDeleteI've read o concerns for people/children trapped by isolation in abusive households; adding this to my prayers.
This is simply lovely. Coming together online, when we can't do it in person must be such a comfort. I'm trying to get mu family to do some sort of group skype or something, I miss them so much already!
ReplyDeletexx
We used Zoom for our parish women's book discussion group and it was lovely!
ReplyDeleteI read this yesterday Kezzie and I completely agree, we have a clean slate with which to work, no use dwelling on what we can't do, but instead focus on what we can and should xx
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as though the sermon you listened to was more inspirational than mine!! I'm glad you found somewhere to feel inspired.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting the YouTube of the Sutton Vineyard Church service. It was a wonderful low key program. Wiping off the microphone before handing it to another speaker was a great start. The pastor's sermon from Isaiah 30 was thoughtful. And the a capella singing by his wife was lovely. A blessing.
ReplyDeleteKaren
Youtube service is a great idea. We have mass on TV channels here, that's good too. Take care, dear.
ReplyDeleteI understand the need of people to stock but the speed with which everything is selling out is not good, could even cause panic and logistic problems. It is also not fair to those in pension and the elderly because with their small income many aren't able to stock up.