[Note: This is a guest post from Gail Butts. Be sure to express your appreciation to her for encouraging us with these words.]
“Social Distancing” and “Stay at Home Order” are new phrases for me and probably most of you. Staying away from my family, friends, and church family goes against everything we have done all our lives. We love to fellowship together, to hug and shake hands right up close and personal. The fellowship time at church is always a blessing as well as praising God in song, prayer, and studying His word together. Together we feel less stress because we are not alone.
Thinking through this social distancing, especially during Holy Week, I wonder what it was like that evening long ago when the disciples hid in fear behind bolted doors, not knowing what to do next after Jesus was crucified and buried. I am sure they felt isolated after being separated from Jesus whom they loved! But on that evening, the first day of the week, past the bolted doors, the resurrected Jesus came and stood before the disciples with a greeting, “Peace be with you,” (John 20:19). Peace that passes all understanding is what we have through Christ Jesus! This is what we need during these hard times!
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious (or worried) 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.”
God loves us! He did not say that we would never face hardship, danger, or even a pandemic that causes us to postpone the assembling of ourselves together as a church. But the church is not just a building where we go to meet; we are the church! I am so thankful for all the emailed and Facebook sermons, Bible studies, devotions, and updates on our church family. I am especially enjoying the Zoom video conferences. It’s the next best thing to being there! Let’s all stay together, at least six feet apart in reality, but close together in spirit, praying to God with thanksgiving for all our blessings, turning our worries over to Jesus, and enjoying the peace that only comes from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.