Our Friday devotion was prepared by Josh Seifert, a member of Christ UMC and our pastoral intern.
Scripture: Proverbs 17:22
“A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.”
Reflection:
During this time of social-distancing and self-quarantine, it is easy to focus our minds on the negative. As the confirmed cases of Covid-19 rise so do our anxieties and our fears. The media continually reminds us of the severity of the situation and advises us to remain at a high level of caution. With all this stress weighing us down, it is easy to let negative thoughts and emotions overcome our spirits. The scripture I picked for this devotional gives us a reminder to focus on the light during this dark time.
All my baseball coaches throughout my life have told me, “control what you can control.” These coaches strengthened my ability to control my emotions on the field and do my best, regardless of what was happening in the game.
I draw a similar comparison with Proverbs 17:22. This passage reminds us that a cheerful heart is a powerful medicine that we must maintain. In the case of the coronavirus we still need modern medicine to aid and prevent the spread, but for those who are out of harm’s way we need to remain cheerful. Do not let our thoughts wonder down destructive paths. Flood your heart, soul, and mind with the graces of God and share the power of a cheerful heart.
Prayer:
All powerful and cheerful God, we reach out to you once again. With open arms we welcome your grace into our lives. As you embrace us, we are reminded of all the gifts you have blessed us with. Members of our community are coming together to aid and support our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. During these trying times we continue to pray for those who are fighting this illness on the front lines. We pray that you may protect the doctors, nurses, public health officials, global leaders, and the victims. Pour out your gracious spirit over them and let them know that they are loved. We ask all of this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
Important Announcements:
1. In light of the separation precautions necessary to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we have cancelled the annual Spring Cleanup Event, which was scheduled for this Saturday, March 28th. Instead, individuals, who are interested, may do some ad-hoc yard work on their own schedule and convenience. For example, clearing planting beds of dead material and picking up the tons of tree branches that have accumulated on the lawn during the winter.
2. Due to the coronavirus, we will not have regular worship services at Christ United Methodist Church and ConnectioN Point for this coming Sunday, March 29th. Instead, we will have a streaming worship service via Facebook Live at 11 am.
The streaming worship service will include music, prayer, and a short homily. If you miss the service on Sunday morning, you can access it later on Facebook as well as our church webpages, https://www.christumclinc.org for Christ United Methodist and https://www.connectionpointlnk.org/ for ConnectioN Point.
3. Don’t forget that church members are welcome to contribute a devotional to this series. If you have a devotional—or, would like to write one—please contact Richard at richard.randolph@christumclinc.org.