May we be able to say, ‘It could have been worse’
By Bill King
Associational mission director, Tuskegee Lee Association
When I was in Mrs. Slaughter’s first grade class, I had mumps.
I didn’t know I had mumps, I just knew I didn’t feel so well and I had a lump on one side of my neck. Mama diagnosed the lump as mumps.
The next Monday morning, when Mama came in to wake me up for school, I said, “I have the mumps in the other side.”
She said, “Get up from there and get ready for school.”
Then she felt the other side of my neck and sentenced me to another week of solitary confinement.
Those two weeks were the longest I ever missed during any school year. I pretended to have mumps at least a dozen more times after that.
Since a reoccurrence of mumps is highly unusual, Dr. Mama did not fall for it. Neither did my wife, Jean, after we married, and I was in college and seminary!
Students have looked for ways to skip school, legally and with Mama’s blessing, as long as we’ve had schools.
Every student gets sick from time to time, and we know many have faked it.
I never won an Academy Award for any of my performances, but I felt like I should have at least been nominated a few times.
In all seriousness, I can’t remember a time when schools were ever closed for weeks due to sickness and certainly not due to the possibility of getting sick.
We are now in uncharted waters.
Many of us had never heard of coronavirus until a few weeks ago, but now we aren’t sure where it may take us.
Schools have closed, as well as many churches and businesses, and even nations.
But this is far more serious than missing a few weeks of school.
At the time of my writing, worldwide, more than 7,500 have died, more than 150 in our own country.
Here in Alabama, we have more than 50 confirmed cases.
While we may have questions, we must take serious measures to prevent further spreading — to flatten the curve, as they say.
Some have made accusations of overreacting, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
If you are well, enjoy the vacation. Let’s be smart, pray and keep a positive attitude of faith.
Once this crisis has passed, may we be able to say it could have been much worse.
A defense of social distancing
Mike Bergman
SBC Voices
Psalm 90 was written by Moses, the same man through whom God spoke the law to Israel.
And what do we read throughout the law? Commands of isolation and quarantine (in a different context might we even call it “social distancing”?) in the face of certain medical conditions, including highly communicable diseases.
Therefore, even from Scripture, we can see the wisdom in choosing to isolate or practice social distancing, even in terms of canceling church meetings for at least a couple of weeks until the tide turns for the better.
This does not negate our trust in God and His sovereignty as we look to Him as a refuge in the midst of this momentary trouble.
In our day and age, we have numerous ways to creatively connect and encourage worship among our church even if, for the moment, we cannot gather as a church. …
As we decide the best courses of action for the foreseeable future in light of medical and governmental recommendations, we hope to still find ways to connect and worship for the glory of God.
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During this time of isolation, we long for community. Why? Because we are created in God’s image. And God is in community within Himself as the triune God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
It’s only natural that we long for community because it is hardwired deep within our souls. But in these times, what is best for the community is to limit our exposure to each other. Limit our travel and practice social distancing.
I would love to be doing life as usual. Everyone in my house feels fine — that doesn’t mean anything with this disease. I could be a carrier and not know it. While I would love to take advantage of the cheap airline tickets and empty restaurants, I’m choosing to limit my travel and spend more time at home so I don’t unknowingly pass along this virus to someone I love deeply. …
So, if at all possible, just stay home and make something beautiful. Create something awesome! Read a book. Write a book! Write a song. Learn to play an instrument. Learn to paint. Put out a bird feeder. Play catch with your son. Have a tea party with your daughter. Dust off the telescope and look at the stars.
Be a beacon of hope and positivity to your family. Use this time to become a better follower of Jesus, a better husband and father and mother and wife.
Brian Gill
Facebook
“We’re all trying to figure this out. We need each other.”
Craig Carlisle
Associational mission director
Your pastor has never pastored a church through a pandemic before.
When he opens people are going to say he should have closed. When he closes people are going to say he should have opened. When he shakes hands, people are going to say he has faith. When he shakes hands, people are going to say he’s foolish.
He’s going to make some difficult decisions to protect the flock, considering everything from your spiritual growth to legal liabilities that you aren’t even thinking about.
I pastor an amazing group of people, and your pastor probably believes the same about you.
Remember this: No one wants things to go well at church as much as your pastor. Your pastor needs your prayers and support right now.
Pastor James Williams
Silver Spring, Md.
Don’t feel like you have to create a new ministry or a new program [to aid your community during this time]. That could be overwhelming, and a lot of times out of our expertise.
Pastor Dean Inserra
City Church, Tallahassee, Fla.
The tithe is God’s money, not ours anyway. He established this to support the work of the church. Electric bills, literature, garbage pickup and water still have to be paid for.
Vickey Weathers
Heflin, Ala.
Kindness and humility go hand in hand. But this isn’t just daily humility with others around you. This is a pervasive and deep humility before God, the One who knows all and sees all. This is intense humility, and it sets even our disagreements apart from the world.
James Hammack
theropetab.wordpress.com
Perhaps you need someone to deliver groceries because you have a compromised immune system. Whatever it is, reach out to us. If we can help, we will. We desire to serve our First Baptist Church Prattville family and the community well during this time.
FBC Prattville
Facebook post
When this is over, may we never again take for granted a handshake with a stranger, full shelves at the store, conversations with neighbors, a crowded theater, Friday night out, the taste of communion, a routine checkup, the school rush each morning, coffee with a friend, the stadium roaring, each deep breath, a boring Tuesday, life itself.
When this ends, may we find that we have become more like the people we wanted to be, we were called to be, we hoped to be. And may we stay that way — better for each other because of the worst.
Laura Kelly Fanucci
Author
via Instagram
No one has the power to make you miserable … other than yourself! Don’t let anyone steal your joy! Remember what Jesus said: “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Billy Irvin
Faith Radio
(Fear) will play tricks on your mind. I like to use the following acronym to describe FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real. It takes what you see and manipulates it into something completely untrue.” (Isa. 41:10)
Caris Snider
“Anxiety Elephants: A 31-Day Devotional to Help Stomp Out Your Anxiety”
In the end, it will be impossible to know if we overreacted or did too much, but it will be quite apparent if we underreacted or did too little.
Source unknown
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@JawnO
Give your pastors some grace as they do their best to lead churches through this current crisis. “Pastoring through Pandemic” wasn’t a required course at my seminary. I imagine other pastors are processing on the go. This is a time where we all need to lean on each other.
@jaredcwilson
Don’t forget to keep giving to your church in this no-gathering interim. Use that online pay option or mail a check or whatever. Churches have workmen who will be especially worthy of their wages in this weird season, and the many missional opportunities before us need funding.
@jasonkeithallen
I’m taking Covid-19 seriously and CDC instructions seriously, not because I’m afraid of getting it. I’m young, healthy and in Christ. I’m taking Covid-19 seriously because I’m afraid of distributing it. Love the elderly, the sick, the vulnerable (your neighbor) through this.
@LifeWay
Pray for students who are out of school and their families that the Lord would give them patience and discipline.
@bobgoff
Sometimes God lets us lose hope for a moment so we’ll retrace our steps and find Him all over again.
@CharlieDates
Sometimes I’m slow to pray because I feel like I don’t deserve for God to answer favorably. I’m right. I don’t deserve it, but that’s why I pray anyway. It wouldn’t be mercy or grace if we deserved it. Let’s ask God to heal our land, not because we are good, but because He is.
@sometimesalight
For many pastors, your normal way of doing ministry is gone, at least for the time being. Your ability to do your job well rests on humility to learn from people who have been ministering outside established order.
@costiwhinn
Social distancing doesn’t have to disconnect pastors and people. You can still:
- Virtual meet via Skype/Zoom
- Send hand-written notes
- Make phone calls
- Create resource videos
- Start group texts sharing needs
- Launch social media groups.
What else would you add?
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