A couple of weeks ago I stepped on the scale and decided it was time to drop a few pounds. During this whole Covid thing I have found myself slowly creeping up. It was barely noticeable (so I told myself) but I could feel the difference. I'm definitely not a diet guy, but I decided it was time to cut back on snacks and junk food. It wasn't that I had lost all discipline, but with some chips here, a bowl of ice cream there, it was beginning to add up.
I don't know about you, but for me, getting out of shape seems to happen gradually. It wasn't just my diet. I had also slowly fallen out of the habit of exercise. Step by step, little by little, I had gotten to a place of not being as physically healthy as I want to be. I think the same thing happens spiritually. It can sneak up on us. But little by little, it is easy to get to a place of not being as spiritually healthy as we would like to be.
During this Covid crisis it has been particularly easy to get out of shape, physically and spiritually. There has been disruption in our worship schedule, canceled special events and a pause in some of our life groups. Combine that with the natural interruption of summer and many of us may be feeling a little disconnected spiritually. When I began to notice my physical wellness was slipping, it took two things to get me back on track. First was a recognition that it was happening. After all, it happened so gradually that it could be easy to miss. The second was the intentional decision to do something about it.
Here are a few ideas to help you develop a plan for how to stay spiritually healthy in the midst of this strange season.
One of our new volunteer opportunities is to be a camera operator for worship!
Online worship. If you have fallen away from regular participation, jump back in. And do it during the live times if you can (9:00 am on Facebook. 9 & 10:30 am on our online platform). The benefit of that is you can be a part of the online dialogue and stay connected to people as you worship.
Life groups. Many are still meeting. Some in person and some on zoom. Get connected to a group. Dig deeper.
Midweek service. Tomorrow night we are launching a new midweek series. While I am preparing for and recovering from kidney donation, I’ve asked Heidi Mongeau to lead a 5 week series on the Holy Spirit. It streams live on Facebook every Thursday at 6:30 pm.
First 5. Back towards the beginning of the summer I started a daily online video devotional called First 5. Chapter by chapter we have worked through the Book of Acts together and are now working through I Corinthians. They are only a few minutes long, but a great way to start your day. If you would like to receive a daily reminder with the link for the First 5 of the day, please send me your preferred email address.
It’s a strange time we are living in. With all the disruptions, it would be easy to begin to see our spiritual health suffer. Let’s do all we can to stay spiritually healthy and strong.
God Bless
Pastor Steve
PS. We are so excited to announce we are starting a brand new life group for moms. If you would be interest, you can find information at this link. https://www.facebook.com/groups/RockChurchFamily/permalink/3410099785675171/