It's amazing to see how much has changed in just 48 hours. Since my email to the church regarding our response to the coronavirus pandemic went out on Wednesday afternoon, we've seen a whirlwind of news and announcements that have had a major impact on our country.
Major sporting events have been canceled, school systems nationwide have been closed, and even our national borders have been locked down. It's certainly not an understatement to say that our daily way of life has been significantly altered this week.
Of course, while all of this may have seemed like an overreaction just a week ago, seeing the effects of the coronavirus in other parts of the world, like Italy, has made most of us realize that these are prudent and needed precautions to help limit the spread of the virus and to help keep as many people as safe and healthy as possible.
In light of this, our church staff and leadership have made the necessary decision at Hamilton Mill UMC to suspend all church-related activities and events, including in-person worship, through the end of March.
In an effort to limit social contact,
the church office will not be open and our church staff will be working remotely during this time.
The Food Pantry will be the only ministry of the church that will be open during this time and we will be implementing a number of new policies and procedures to ensure the safety of our patrons and volunteers.
Two days ago, I would've thought that the decision to suspend all church activities would've been a difficult one to make, but honestly, this one was pretty easy.
Simply put, as your pastor, my highest priority is you. Nothing-other than our faithfulness to God-will come before the safety and well-being of our people. All of the world's top health experts are telling us that limiting our social interactions is what we need to do to help limit exposure, curtail the spread of this virus, and help prevent the overextension of our health care system. So, in a lot of ways, this decision was a no-brainer.
Of course, that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt to know that we can't gather together for a while. After all, that's who we are. Hamilton Mill UMC is a church that exists to "Gather, Grow, and Go."
So how will we do that for the next three weeks?
First, we're going to have a live-streamed worship service every Sunday at 11:00 am. Each week, you can find our live worship services available on our church's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/hamiltonmillumc) where we'll keep you updated with news and announcements, have a time of singing and prayer, and we'll be continuing in our Lenten sermon series, The Abundant Life.
Because many of your friends, neighbors, and family members will be at home, this is a great opportunity for you to share our worship services with the simple click of a button. Not only is this an easy way to invite others to worship with us, but it'll also be a great way to share the words of comfort and hope with them during a time of lots of anxiety and stress.
Second, we're going to be offering ways to gather virtually as a church throughout the rest of the month. We'll be offering online Bible studies, classes, and resources. The Hamilton Mill UMC Kids and Student ministries will be sending out information about ways and opportunities to connect while at home.
In short, we don't have to stop growing spiritually just because we can't be together physically. We're going to be sharing as many ways and opportunities for us to stay connected as possible, so stay tuned to our church-wide emails and social media posts.
Lastly, I believe that hidden within every crisis is an opportunity. Perhaps this is precisely the opportunity that God wants to use to deepen our discipleship and strengthen our faith. So think about the ways that you can get creative and innovative in your spiritual walk these next few weeks.
Which neighbors can you check on and offer help to? What book of the Bible have you been meaning to read but never had time for? How might you use your time to focus on your prayer life, spend time with your family, or get outside and "offer your body as a living sacrifice" by exercising?
Some of the greatest breakthroughs of faith happen when we focus on the potential for growth rather than the predicament of the problem. S
o ask God how you might use the next few weeks to maximize this opportunity.
More than anything, I want to remind you of the one of the most often-repeated phrases in the Bible: "Do not be afraid..."
I know that it's easy to look at the situation all around us and get caught up in the stress and anxiety of everything. After all, this is an unprecedented time for us and none of us has ever experienced anything quite like this.
But remember that the God who led the Israelites through an unprecedented journey through the wilderness, the God who eased the disciples' fear by calming the wind and the waves of an unprecedented storm, and the God who defeated death by raising Jesus to life on an unprecedented day we call Easter, loves us, is with us, and He will not forsake us.
And, therefore, we have nothing to fear.
Grace and Peace,
Jeremy
