Dear Friends in Christ,
I am so eager for us to join together personally for worship and fellowship and to be together. But, in the meantime, we have also included prayers, scripture and devotions for you in this worship bag and invite you to join us virtually for worship. Please go to our website: faithlilacway.org to join us for online worship.
Devotions
Jesus said “I am with You
Let’s pray:
Dear God, in this uncertain time in which we are not able to gather physically as a community, unite us with your Holy Spirit, comfort us when we are hurting, sick, lonely and afraid. Help us find our way, trusting always in your mercy and grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The scripture that came to mind, for such a time as this, is the passage at the end of the Gospel of Matthew. Just before Jesus ascends into heaven and departs from the disciples, he gives them a few words of encouragement and a mission: 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt 28:16-20
Jesus gives these words to his disciples when he was about to physically leave them. And yet, he knew that they – and we – would need some help. As you see in the scripture above, even though the disciples worshipped Jesus, some doubted. Jesus knew that they would – and that they would need help to carry on both the ministry and their community of faith. And so he promised, I will be with you – ALWAYS. And then, Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to abide, to live with us.
In these days of unknowing how or when or how hard the Covid-19 virus will hit our community and our loved ones we are asked to shelter in place and to practice “social distancing.” It’s hard to feel alone. But Jesus reminds us that he is always with us. So, I want to remind you that this promise of Jesus is stronger and more abiding than any power – and certainly stronger than a virus like Covid19. Jesus is with us and will help us to get through this – however long it takes.
It is hard to practice “social distancing”. It is hard when our world is changing so fast, right before our eyes and our “normal” is disrupted, people are being laid off, stores are shuttered and we don’t know how long this will last. But, in the midst of it, remember, we are not alone. Jesus promises to be with us – always.
I admit it is very frustrating that we can’t gather together as we usually do. However, Bishop Ann reminds us that what is being called “social distancing” is actually a call for “physical distancing” and that we can and should seek ways to connect socially – in safe ways.
We are seeking to do this. If you have access to the internet, please check out our website: www.faithlilacway.org for a way in which you can join us for an online worship service. We are new to this, so it will begin with a recorded service for March 22. But we are also posting on our Facebook page and putting sermons and reflections on our website and contacting you through email and by phone or text
or by Zoom. Zoom is an online service for video meetings – all you need is a smart phone or a computer. Vicar Becca and I are trying to reach out to you all in these and other ways that are safe.
But I also encourage you to reach out to us and to one another. Sometimes you can make a person’s day, simply by picking up the phone and calling someone.
I look forward to worshipping in person with you again soon. But in the meantime, I hope we can connect in one of these other ways.
Even though we cannot be physically together, remember that God promises to be with us – always. In Genesis, God gave the promise to Abraham, “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go” (Gen.28:15) and in Matthew, Jesus tells the disciples “I am with you always”.
Finally, a blessing for you: May God surround you with grace and peace in the midst of these challenging times and the knowledge of God’s presence with you always. Amen.
Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane