Great Plains Daily Devotional for 7/20/2020

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

“For where two or three gather: socially distanced, in my name there I am with them.” This seems to be the way the verse should read in this season of COVID. In the past five months we have learned how to be a community online. We Zoom, watch church online, and miss the hugs and handshakes. This time has been a test of the strength and flexibility of our communities. While this isn’t the community we usually think of when we think of church, we are starting to get used to it. 

Reflecting on this scripture and the current pandemic, I thought about how the church responded in the last pandemic of this size: the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, at a time when the internet was not even a twinkle in someone’s eyes. A recent article shared that the way people did worship back then was pretty close to what we are doing now: “The Birmingham News offered to print sermons, service outlines, scriptures and announcements sent in by various clergy to help people worship at home.” From the article, I found a comment from a pastor the most interesting. While addressing the community about how this was the first time in their lives where they could not attend church, he explains the essence of what a church service looks like to show that church could be anywhere. While we have found ways to connect online, we have found that Sundays are not the same. 

In this verse Jesus is talking to the disciples about how things that happen on Earth will happen in Heaven. He then says that whenever we get together and pray his father will hear us and help us. While being together in person to pray to God and worship doesn't make sense, we are still fulfilling this verse through watching our service’s online and finding new virtual ways to fellowship.

 

Prayer for Reflection

Genesis 28:10-19a
Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24
Romans 8:12-25
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43