Dear Church Member,
After a very long and boring sermon the members filed out of the church saying nothing to the preacher. Towards the end of the line was a thoughtful person who always commented on the sermons. “Pastor, today your sermon reminded me of the peace and love of God!" The pastor was thrilled. "No-one has ever said anything like that about my preaching before. Tell me why." "Well - it reminded me of the Peace of God because it passed all understanding and the Love of God because it endured forever!" (The peace and love of God!)
I think sometimes we need a little something to lift our spirits! These are difficult times. The nations of the world have not experienced such a global pandemic since the Spanish Flu a century or more ago. These times pass understanding, we struggle to make sense of them and, we fear, they may last forever – like the preacher’s sermon. But I always remember what my mum used to say to me – much to my annoyance I recall – she would say (in reference to some long-forgotten unhappiness of mine) “but this too will pass!” She was right, of course. And when it (Covid 19) passes what will we have learned?
If you observe Lent which many of our churches do during this period you may have learned that you had no idea you’d be giving up quite so much for Lent! I think we may begin to appreciate that the way we in which the richer parts of the world have been living for the past four decades may no longer be sustainable in reality. We may have to learn that we will not be able to go back to “business as usual”. We may learn ultimately that food does not “grow on shelves”- it does not magically appear in our supermarkets. The things we think of as rightfully ours or as basic necessities are in fact luxuries which our parents or grandparents could only have dreamed of. We may learn at last to remember the farmers, producers and distributors who spare us poverty. We may learn to give real thanks to God for the provision of food and medicine and those people who provide it. “All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above…” We may learn to thank the check-out staff in our shops.
We may think twice about getting on our gas-guzzling planes to take yet more foreign holidays. I do hope so. We may learn that the best way to live is to live simply and to be content with what we have and grateful for what the Lord provides.
We may learn, after all, that Jesus was right to show the world the way of service and sacrifice. How grateful we are (and should be) to all those men and women who have stepped up to the plate in this country and others and are making very real sacrifices for the health and well-being of their nations and people. Some of our front-line folk have already paid the ultimate price.
Charles Dickens said “these are the best of times and they are the worst of times”. We have the choice: we can be the best or we can be the worst. We can hoard things and stuff our cupboards and fridges with food or we can help others. If you have more than you need, please consider giving some of it away. If you have a word of knowledge or encouragement to share with one another, then share it. Don’t forget the financial need of your church either – it will be there when this passes
When you wash your hands and are saying the Lord’s Prayer for the 14th time that day (!) stop at the petition, “Give us this day OUR daily bread” and consider what that really means. It means, in part, that we only have this day. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not promised to any of us. If we learn anything from these days we learn that we are not all-powerful, we are not in control – we are fragile, mortal and greatly (and always) in need of God and of one another.
“The LORD is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 4-7)
Every Blessing – Mark & Susan (26-03-20)