{"id":1374,"date":"2020-03-14T18:22:07","date_gmt":"2020-03-14T18:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stjohnsflorencewi.com\/wordpress\/?p=1374"},"modified":"2020-03-14T20:32:08","modified_gmt":"2020-03-14T20:32:08","slug":"church-and-coronavirus-things-you-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stjohnsflorencewi.com\/wordpress\/?p=1374","title":{"rendered":"Church and Coronavirus | Things You Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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It’s been a crazy week, hasn’t it?\u00a0 Headline after headline about the coronavirus.\u00a0 Schools closing.\u00a0 Events being cancelled.\u00a0 The stock market plummeting.\u00a0\u00a0What’s a Christian supposed to make of all this?\u00a0 What’s a church supposed to do about all of this?\u00a0 What do you need to know before coming to church on Sunday?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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What God Says<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a lot of information going around right now; some of it is accurate and some is not.\u00a0 Instead of refreshing your newsfeed every 30 seconds to hear what people say about the coronavirus, take a moment to be refreshed by what God says about it.<\/p>\n

God is in control.<\/strong>\u00a0 Psalm 46:10 | “Be still, and know that I am God<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

God loves us and promises to help us.<\/strong>\u00a0 Isaiah 41:10 |\u00a0“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.\u00a0 I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”<\/em><\/p>\n

God promises there will be trouble in the world, and he promises to be with us through it.<\/strong>\u00a0Isaiah 43:1-3 |\u00a0“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”<\/em><\/p>\n

God promises to use all things for our good.<\/strong>\u00a0 Romans 8:28 |\u00a0“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”<\/em><\/p>\n

God cares for you.<\/strong>\u00a01 Peter 5:7 | “Cast all your anxiety on [God] because he cares for you.”<\/p>\n

God wants to use us to reflect his love to others.<\/strong>\u00a0 Matthew 5:14,16 |\u00a0“You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise their Father in heaven.”<\/em><\/p>\n

God’s got us, and the whole world, in the palm of his hand.\u00a0 Things are going to be OK. Times of anxiety, worry, stress, and trouble often prove to be the best times to be a light of God’s hope, strength, and promises. Look for opportunities in your life to reflect the light of God’s love out to those around you!<\/p>\n

A few great resources for you:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Praying through a Pandemic<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0(from our sister church, Illumine, Seattle)<\/p>\n

How Should A Christian Act During a Deadly Epidemic?<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0(By Martin Luther)<\/p>\n

Coronavirus: Coming out of the Crowd<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(a fantastic devotional blog written by Jonathan Bourman of Peace Lutheran in Aiken, originally written March 2nd)<\/p>\n

If you do not feel comfortable attending church because of health concerns, please check our\u00a0church website<\/a>\u00a0for worship and devotional resources. Stay connected to God Word. Now is a great time to reinvest in family devotions.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Practical\u00a0Things<\/u><\/strong>
\nGathering for worship<\/strong><\/p>\n