Corona Crisis

My Father’s World

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Then pray like this: Our Father in Heaven Hallowed Be Your name Your kingdom come Your will be done On earth as it is in Heaven  Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.                               Matthew 6:9-13 ESV

 

The hymn, “This is My Father’s World” was written as a poem by Maltbie Babcock and wasn’t set to music until 15 years after his death. If we were to step back we would also see it as a reflection of the Lord’s Prayer. Throughout our current Corona virus crisis this reminds me that in the middle of uncertainty; God never changes. “This is my Father’s world and to my listening ear.”  The first unchangeable truth this song gives us is that, no matter what happens in this world our Father in Heaven is listening but during our time of enforced idleness we might ask, “Are we listening for His voice?”

Secondly; even though God is in charge He gives us a part to play. We are to pray; “Your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Just as the birds raise their carols in the second verse, our opportunity in this crisis is to praise God as our creator and worship Him in a way that brings heaven’s rule to our own little patch of ground.

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Then we must trust Him even when our world seems dark. “And when the wrong seems oft so strong.”  When we are unable to provide for ourselves as we are accustomed we learn to ask Him to give our daily bread. When we lose patience or fail under pressure; He promises that if only we ask that He will forgive us as we are forgiving of those around us.

“This is my Father’s world, the battle is not done.” Last of all when temptation calls we must depend on God’s help to lead us away and when we are surrounded by our enemies; He promises to deliver us by His cross! “Jesus who died will be satisfied; and earth and heaven be one.”

 

https://youtu.be/nKlSJuyNBT0

Listening Long Complaining short

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.        James 1:19 ESV

There has been quite a lot of debate lately about the reasons behind and the need for continued social distancing. The arguments I have heard recently revolve around keeping these regulations in place only within “nursing homes” as if that were a singular place. First let me remind everyone that we as a nation including both conservative and liberal lawmakers entered into the social distancing effort in order to buy precious time for researchers to come up with a treatment for this new disease. Second I find it frustrating that when people say just quarantine the residents of nursing homes they don’t seem to understand the complexity of that community and the remaining rights of its residents. Yes; many people do live in skilled nursing homes but just as often they are in assisted or independent living facilities. These residents retain the same rights as people living in any apartment building in town. They rent a suite, receive laundry and food services, but; they have not signed away any rights to make decisions about travel, visiting or shopping any more than anyone else. The staff likewise does not simply consist of doctors, nurses and therapists. There are all kinds of other people there such as hairdressers, fitness instructors, secretaries, and social event coordinators. Hearing loud complaining about the lack of PPE provided to the staff at the beginning of our current crisis misses the point that they are not designed to be hospitals and most have been frantically shifting gears as fast as they can to adjust to the new situation.

photo of person wearing surgical mask

Photo by EVG photos on Pexels.com

So what to do? People need to return to work and the economy is hurting however; finding someone to blame isn’t the answer. Dr. Anthony Fauci has become a popular target for some people’s frustrations as we slowly grind towards the end of a month of semi-quarantine. But Dr. Fauci’s 16 hour work days and near angelic patience with reporters is completely forgotten in this new blame game. Remember that finding problems is the easy part. Finding answers will take time and means making our listening long and our complaining short even when or maybe especially where we disagree. Over all of us and through each moment of our journey we must trust that God. He is with us and He will see us through all the way to the end of this journey!

All Things

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 ESV

To be entirely honest the disabling helplessness brought on by this Covid-19 crisis rubs me like an ill fitting pair of shoes. It is frustrating being cooped up at home with important questions like, “How can one tiny virus turn our world upside down?” and, “How the heck can you shop on line for bananas?” On top of everything else I also stupidly walked into a chair leg and hence now have a broken toe. This morning as I look out the window I realize that I can’t bring in the garbage can, can’t trim the small tree in our back yard or even water my flowers. If you are like me hearing that word; “Can’t – can’t – can’t” is like the annoying jingle of a television commercial. It isn’t that I couldn’t ask for my wife to wheel our trash can back in and water the garden; it is that right now I am dependent and I really need someone’s help.

That dependence is what Jesus was pressing for His disciples to understand as He prepared Himself for His own hour of helplessness. Less than 24 hour later His hands which had once cleansed the lepers, would be nailed to a piece of wood; His feet which had walked on waves would be unable to take a single step and His head that had been anointed with perfumed oil would bleed from the piercings of a crown of thorns. The creator of the universe would hang suffering and unable to move in front of all the world and there He show us the power of His love and give us His life for us so that we could say:

I can do all things through him who strengthens me Philippians 4:13 KJV

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