Dear Elim family,
It’s good to be back from my vacation with Elizabeth. We had a wonderful time. I can assure you that, after 20 years of marriage, we’re still very much in love!
While away, the news of the coronavirus threat seemed to grow exponentially every day. I’d like to address the matter and give you my thoughts, and also explain how we are proposing we handle the situation here at church, for worship services and events.
Fearless, yet wise
I encourage everyone to live by this standard: Be fearless, yet wise. This is a biblical standard, and core to our faith. For such a time as this, we must engage our faith by living into prayer and saturating our minds, hearts and spirits with God’s Word. “Perfect love drives out all fear,” and as we commune with the Spirit, God’s perfect love can and will truly cast out all fear.
Don’t allow fear to dictate. Being cautious is healthy, while living fearfully is unhealthy. The first promotes wisdom, the second promotes paranoia, anxiety and distress.
I have more to say about this, and plan to share more in subsequent missives. For now, I leave you with this simple admonition: By faith, be fearless, yet wise.
Living it out
In your daily living, use practical caution when interacting with others. I don’t need to repeat what is being said over and over in the media. Simply be wise and avoid the kind of close contact that could lead to spreading germs. But as Elim’s wise matriarch, Katie Clarke, put it: “What? Are we supposed to stop living?!” Amen, Katie! That’s a person speaking from faith!
So I encourage you to do your best to continue living your lives, but simply being more cautious these days and limiting the spread of germs.
Worship and church activities
Added by Scott Fowler: since this was originally sent this has changed. See more recent missives.
At this point, I am not advocating that we cancel any regular church activities. Let’s just be wise when we gather. Toward that end, here’s specifically what I’m advocating:
If sick, stay home: Please be considerate of others and stay home if you have a fever, a cough and/or head cold.Waves and smiles: As you greet people, limit physical contact. In our worship service, we will simply turn, smile and wave, instead of our usual greeting of one another.Offering plates: We’ll shift for a time and have ushers in the back, after service, holding the offering plates. Simply drop your offering in the plate. Better yet, use our new, on-line giving platform! Go to our website, elimqc.org. Click on “Giving,” and follow the instructions to get started, or ask Sandy Parrott for help to set it up.Communion service: We will have an alternative format to minimize contact with the plates and elements.No guilt: If, for any reason, you would prefer to stay home, do so.
Our sermons are always recorded and posted to our website. We are also working to get video recordings of our sermons. So if you do stay home, you can still listen to the message on-line at elimqc.org, and on the home page, scroll down and click on “Sermon Audio.” If we can record them on video, I’ll e-mail on how to access those video messages.
Cancellations
Added by Scott Fowler: since this was originally sent this has changed. See more recent missives.
For now, the only cancellation I’m aware of is our annual Girls Night Out. We will notify you if any other activities are cancelled. While I’m advocating that we continue with our regular weekly programming, I will support ministry leaders and groups if they feel the need to cancel.
Doing good ministry
I have loved the perspective Scott Fowler has shown– he has come to me now with a couple of ideas for how we can serve families in need in our church family and neighborhood as a result of school closings. We are looking into those. But I encourage you to look for ways you can serve others in this time. For example:
- Running errands for someone who’s home-bound
- Bringing a meal to someone, or a family, in need
- Helping with childcare for a working parent whose kids are staying home from school
- Brainstorm for other ideas, and look for ways to “bear one another’s burdens.”
If you have a need, or know of someone who does, and cannot attend to the need yourself, please call our church office and let us know so we can try to help.
Pray
The Bible is clear on how to handle a crisis that creates anxiety: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Php. 4:6). Simply combat anxiety with prayer. And be thankful! Expressing our gratitude to God is accomplishes two things: It honors God, and it shrinks our fears. Like vinegar on weeds, thanksgiving shrivels up fear!
Pray specifically for:
- The sick: Those who have contracted the virus; and others who are sick
- Our government and health officials: For wisdom and strength of character
- Those with jobs affected: For God’s grace and His supply for their needs
- Families with school-age kids: To wisely manage the care of their children, now at home.
- Brainstorm! Who else needs our prayers?
During the time of the Black Plague, Christians responded, not with fear, but with fearlessness. Many Christians went out to serve and minister to the sick. Lord, build up our faith so that we might respond with fearlessness and wisdom!
To strengthen our faith, we must continue to build ourselves up with God’s Word and with prayer. That’s why I don’t want us to stop meeting together for worship, study and prayer. Privately and corporately, we need to strengthen our faith, especially now.
And may God respond by fulfilling His promise to guard our hearts and minds with His peace that passes all understanding (Php. 4:7). Amen!
Love in Him,
Pastor Steve
