Articles
Has It Really Been a Year?
“HAS IT REALLY BEEN A YEAR?”
Written by Larry Schneider
One year ago, the first cases of COVID-19 began showing up in Central Indiana. It wasn’t long before deaths were being reported from the virus. On Sunday, March 15, we met together for the last time as a congregation in our normal Sunday schedule. The following day, Monday, March 16, all kinds of schools, businesses, events, and church services were being told to close down to stop the spread of the virus. We met virtually for about 8 weeks, and then finally on May 10, we met again with an alternate service schedule. I would venture to say that this past year has probably been the strangest any of us have ever experienced. The source of all of this strangeness has been the COVID-19 virus.
While we now have vaccinations available, and the virus seems to be subsiding, we need to make plans for how we will proceed in the coming weeks and months. We need to start thinking about serving the Lord. For some, the initial response might be, ”Wait a minute, I can’t serve the Lord during this pandemic. With all of the limitations and restrictions placed upon us, you want me to serve the Lord?” The question we need to answer is, “Are we really powerless to do anything about serving the Lord during this time?” Several of our members are in facilities that restrict visitors and cause them to be in isolation. There are others who are living in self-isolation by their own choices. Can we not contact these with phone calls, texts, or cards to let them know we are thinking of them? Can we not take them meals or offer to go shopping for them to help them? Just touching base with these individuals for just a few minutes can brighten their days.
Something else that all of us can do is pray. We need to pray for God’s deliverance from this pandemic. We need to thank him for the vaccines becoming available and pray for their effectiveness. We need to pray for those who are in isolation and for those who are struggling with all kinds of illnesses. We need to be praying for the souls of those who are caught up in the fear of this virus. We need to pray for everyone to open their eyes and their hearts to come to God for spiritual healing. We are told in I Thessalonians 5:17; “pray without ceasing.”
Another way we can serve the Lord is by becoming more diligent in our study of His Word. While this pandemic has provided us with a lot of time to reflect upon our lives, I hope that much of that reflection has been upon your relationship with the Lord. Romans 10:17 reminds us that, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” We are so thankful that our numbers for our Bible classes have been increasing steadily over the last year.
The elders, deacons, and the preacher will meet next week to discuss how we will conduct worship services and Bible classes in the coming weeks and months. Please pray for them as they set a course for returning to normal services. Don’t let Satan deceive you into believing you cannot do anything to serve the Lord during a pandemic. All of us can do much for the Lord at this time, and we can prepare for returning to normal soon.
- HAS_IT_REALLY_BEEN_A_YEAR.pdf (163.80 kB)
