Labor Day always seems a turning point in the year for me. The school year gets underway, the days are getting shorter and we make the turn from summer into fall. This month we are moving into the sixth month of living with the coronavirus pandemic and we don’t yet see a clear endpoint in sight.
Now is a good time to take on some new habits or become more intentional with the habits we’ve had in the past. Certainly, life has changed from what it was before and there are many things we can’t do that we used to do. We can however decide what we want to do going forward and how we might structure our days.
I recommend that all of us take on three habits:
- Establish a Sunday morning routine.
I encourage you to make Sunday morning a time for nurturing your connection to God: participate in a worship service online or in-person. Take some time to read the Bible, light a candle, pray for others and listen for what God has to say. May of us are finding that taking a walk is a wonderful way to connect with God and cultivate a thankful heart.
Even though our routines and calendars have changed, we can still set aside a portion of each Sunday morning as a time to be with God.
- Connect with other believers.
Keep in touch with friends and mother members in the church through Zoom calls, phone calls, meeting on a backyard deck or driveway for conversation. Don’t neglect the relationships that have been a source of encouragement and care and joy for you in the past. Find new ways to be there for others. This is an important way for us to stay connected with Christ.
- Pray for your church everyday.
This is a unique moment for all of us. When the usual ways of being the church are not possible, we are challenged to consider how we might accomplish our mission. We are here to seek and invite all to become disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our community and our world. The current situation calls for us to come up with new ways to carry out that mission. This is even more important for us as a look to how we might address the challenges before us.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Steve Larsen