How to do 'church' remotely
Many are waking up this morning with no church service to attend. But 'Church' is so much more than routinely attending a Sunday morning service.
A Christian faith is a way of life, and now more than ever, people need Faith. As Adrian Plass said, 'I prefer to think of church as a verb rather than a noun.' (ie something we do, not a place we go) Here are some ways to 'do church.'
Personal prayer
Our heavenly Father is everywhere. We don't need a building or meeting to spend time with Him, in prayer, listening, reading scripture, thinking about what you read.
Phone a friend
Call a close friend, have a chat, check on them, and pray together. If you're comfortable with tech, Apps like WhatsApp or Microsoft Teams are free, and a group can connect online in a virtual church.
Virtual Churches
A range of preachers and churches have been broadcasting their messages online for years. Your own church may well be moving online this morning (eg: Church of England). Or you can listen to someone new. Amoung the ones I have listened to are:
- Joyce Meyer
- Dr Henry Cloud, a Christian Psychologist and Leadership expert
- Tim Keller
- Lisa Harper
- Willow Creek community church
- Brian Houston
- Caroline Leaf
There are a range of sermons on Youtube, and a quick search will show you a range of options. I've listed these as a starting point. As always, evaluate the messages against scripture.
Of course, there are also TV channels like the God Channel that you can switch to, or Christian Radio channels.
Praise and Worship
There are also a wide range of praise and worship songs online, and you can join in from home. Search Youtube for your favourite artists, or look for soaking music. Hillsong have produced lots of the songs sung in contemporary churches, and there is a lot of their music online. Some beautiful and uplifting songs in tough times are:
- Oceans (Hillsong)
- It is well (Bethel music version)
- Just be Held (Casting Crowns) or Praise you in this storm
- 10 000 reasons (Matt Redman)
- Lord I need you (Chris Tomlin)
Youtube allows you to create your own playlists. You can listen to my Worship Favourites.
Helping Others
In times of crisis, we need to stand together. There is so much we can do to help one another, from behaving responsibly, to checking in on neighbours (by phone or from at least 2m away), doing shopping or helping each other in practial ways. Foodbanks are reporting increasing need, and decreasing supplies. For people in isolation, a phone call and chat is a lifeline. Helping someone else puts our own problems into perspective. As the parable of the 'Good Samaritan' teaches us, it's part of being a Christian.
God Bless you in these times.