Worship at Home - A message from Pastor Steve

Good Morning Gathering Church,

This is Pastor Steve back from my trip down south, and a lot has happened while we were away.  Global concerns around the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic have led to professional sports leagues cancelling games, travel bans and restrictions, and restrictions on large gatherings.

With our decision to cancel corporate worship for these next two weeks over the March break holiday, we wanted to make sure we were encouraging you to remain connected to God at this important time.  While social distancing is a helpful way to practice safe and responsible citizenship, we as Christians know that we are never isolated from our heavenly Father.  He is as close as the mention of His name, and this presents us with a unique opportunity to be reminded of that, and to teach our children that as well. 

Whether you are a parent, a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or friendly neighbor, you can still gather together for a worship experience. This may sound intimidating to you, like something you are not equipped for, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact now is the perfect time to start doing a family worship time, and to keep doing it long after coronavirus leaves us.

If you read the portion of Deuteronomy 6 sometimes referred to as the Shema, it’s easy to see that family discipleship is a scriptural imperative for God's people:

 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-7, CSB) 

So, this morning, instead of getting ourselves together and gathering for worship, let’s face it, many of us will be “sitting in our houses."  Maybe it's by ourselves, with a friend, with our kids or other family members—but we'll have some extra time than we are currently used to.  And since schools have closed and workplaces may go to a temporary remote work model, this may continue for you.  Chances are, your family might be experiencing some anxiety in this unprecedented situation. Use this extra time wisely and talk about God’s Word—the ultimate soother of our souls and healer of our hearts!

Try this to get you started: read, pray, sing—repeat! 

In his little book, Family Worship, Donald S. Whitney gives a simple formula for how to have a family worship time. Most of us are capable of doing this.
Just gather your crew, open your Bibles, read a chapter or two aloud, say a prayer, and sing a song!

Read: You might choose to go through one of the Gospels together, continuing Jesus' journey to the cross, or read a Psalm and a chapter from Proverbs. The ages of your children might dictate the content you choose. If you have younger children, consider grabbing one of their Bible storybooks and selecting a Bible story to read aloud while showing pictures. Older children and teens can help read aloud portions of Scripture. Everyone can add to the discussion by asking questions and offering comments. And guess what? If you don’t know the answer, that’s ok. Acknowledge the great question and offer to do some research and report back next time. Kids and teenagers are really good at asking questions that we would all like to know, but simply won’t have the answer this side of Heaven. It’s okay if that’s your answer too.

Pray: End your Bible reading and discussion time in prayer. You can ask your family what they would like to pray for. Are they worried and fearful about the coronavirus?  Is anyone in your family lonely and feeling isolated from friends and classmates? Is there too much sibling conflict from being cooped up? Offer prayers of hope and encouragement, repentance, and intercession.

Sing: Close your family worship time by singing a song or two. Singing together might feel strange if you’ve never done so before. You might start by playing a worship song your family is familiar with from church worship. Ask everyone to sing along.  Or, sing a simple hymn that is familiar to everyone - no accompaniment necessary.

Although we may not be gathering for two or more weeks, that does not mean you shouldn’t gather with those close to you, and experience the one true God together through His Word, through prayer, and through song. 

I pray that many of you consider this encouragement to worship God in a fresh way in this unique time.

When life feels uncertain and we aren't seeing clearly, may we choose to rally around the author and finisher of our faith...asking Him to SHOW US more of Himself. 

God bless you Gathering Church, I hope to see you all soon.

Pastor Steve