How Are You Living?

Beloved,

As I sit down to type out these words to you, I recognize that we are almost a year into the disruption of our lives associated with Covid-19. Some of our, likely taken for granted, freedoms of normality are gradually being restored as vaccine availability becomes more widespread. I encourage you to be prayerful in your decisions regarding vaccinations and do know that my intention is to get vaccinated when it becomes available. I am trusting that the vaccines are a part of God's blessings and revelation in our disrupted lives right now.

As we anticipate a more normal rhythm of life, we need to continue to stay the course of our Christian journey. Many of us have gotten physically despondent, mentally fatigued, emotionally stressed, and spiritually challenged by what we are having to go through; BUT, praise be to God that if you are reading this message, you are making it through.

I miss our connections, our gatherings, our fellowship. I miss our holy hugs and warm embraces. I miss our high fives, fist bumps, and just standing close to one another.

Simply stated, I miss being with you...for now.

I am trusting that we will be together again in many of the ways that we were together previously, all in God's time.

Until then, what are we to do?

If you are reading this email, you are doing one thing that is incredible important. You are living. Praise be to God, you are living.

The question I want to pose is, "How are you living?"

As I have stated to many, once Covid-19 hit us, our sick and shut-in list exploded to become almost entirely made up of the whole church family. As a result, our outreach to others included the need for outreach to ourselves.

Our absence from each other created a necessity for us to intentionally connect in ways that we had not needed to previously.

While absence can make the heart grow fonder, prolonged absence can make the heart heavy, weary, and fearful.

Is that what God wants for us? No.

When the Apostle Paul had to be away from the church at Philippi that he longed to return to, he offered a word of encouragement to the church that I want to share with you. In Philippians 1:27, he wrote, "Only live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel."

Beloved, I cannot see most of you in the way that I could before. Okay, so, what are we to do about that? We are to stand firm in the spirit of God and connect the best ways that we can.

You may have to be socially distant from family and friends. Okay, so, what are we to do about that? We are to stand firm in the spirit of God and connect the best ways that we can.

And, in our connection, we must intentionally reach out to each other, virtually if need be, to show that nothing has separated us from the love of God and we will be connected with the people of God as we stand firm in the spirit of God and connect the best ways that we can.

Beloved, the sun is rising in the sky right now as I type out these words. A new day is upon us. I am going to do my best to live my life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. And, I encourage you to intentionally do the same.

So, how are you living? Answer. I am living in the love of God. And, the love of God will cover you, keep you, provide for you, and protect you all the days of your life, even in our days of separation, through our days of virtual connection, and into our days when we can gather together safely, unmasked with no distance between us again.

Anticipate that day and be glad because that day is coming.

Until that day comes, live your best life in these challenging days by connecting with each other, standing firm in the spirit, striving to stay encouraged and encouraging others as we collectively reveal our faith in the gospel.

We will connect for Noonday prayer today. Get on the phone and connect.

We will connect for our sermon broadcast on The Light radio station at 3pm. Get on the radio and connect.

We will connect for HOPE Wednesday this evening at 6:30pm. Get your books and connect.

We will connect for worship on Sunday morning with the options and opportunities of in-person, Facebook Live, and Zoom teleconference. Come be with us in-person or virtually and connect.

We will be in prayer for each other every day in the name of Jesus Christ as guided by the Holy Spirit. Pray with us and for us and connect.

How are you living? Live like that.

And, we will be forever connected in knowing and remembering that God loves you and I love you too!

Be blessed,

Rev. Cain