Yesterday our topic for Instagram Live Lunch was thankfulness. And I told the group that being intentionally thankful in this time doesn’t mean we have to be dishonest about it when we feel disappointed by all that’s going on (or not going on) around us. Even Jesus got frustrated sometimes. But people at lunch repeatedly referenced their thankfulness for technology. FaceTime and Zoom and social media have allowed us to continue digitally gathering with everyone who is not in our own homes. I’d much rather be with all of you in person. But I am thankful for all the groups that have been gathering through glowing screens the last two weeks. The halls of the church building have been much quieter. And yet our regular church groups and meetings, my family, youth workers in North Carolina and far away, dinner groups, and friends from down the street and in other countries have all still been a part of the rhythm of my life. I’m thankful for the ways that God continues to teach and encourage me through them and through you even when we feel like we’re exiled. As Paul told the Philippians, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” And as I look around the church building, I try to also remember in hope what God said to Jacob: “I will bring you back to this land.”
Category: Pandemic Writing 2020-2021
Quarantine Writing
An odd effect of living in the time of the Coronavirus is that I have been writing more lately. The next few posts are the messages I’ve included in my weekly Family Ministries email at Soapstone. Each one is a quick thought for the week that I just thought deserved to be recorded somewhere.