Dear CCFC Family,
If you’re quarantined or self-isolating, this could potentially be a really difficult time! But I want to submit to you that it can be a real opportunity for personal growth and renewal. As things around us get stripped away, we may be forced to come face to face with ourselves, our sin, and our God. And that is not always a comfortable experience. But I believe with all my heart that the Lord can use this time powerfully to draw you nearer to Him, and that is my prayer for you.
So my first piece of advice for you is to embrace the slowdown of life, and don’t get lost in distractions. Don’t let Netflix and social media become the foremost drivers and shapers of your mind and heart in this season. Take time for quiet, embrace boredom, and learn how to become more fully human in this season. For many of us, the tyranny of busyness is put aside for a few weeks! Take advantage of this, and lean into your life with God who has made you for Himself.
Secondly, open up the Word of God. If you are anxious, if you’ve been shaken by this, or if you’ve just got extra time on your hands, seek out more of God in the Scriptures! We read in it that Jesus Himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14), that God is near and all His promises are true (Psalm 119:151), that He will never leave nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). If you are anxious, turn to Google for help finding passages about God’s sovereignty and faithfulness. In the coming weeks, I hope to be collating resources for us to be engaging the Scriptures together as a church and in our families. If you want a Bible reading plan, let me commend to you the Daily Office Lectionary in our Book of Common Prayer. Or, reach out to one of the clergy staff and we can help you get started in some other way. But in all this let’s aim to be a people that trust that God wants to speak to us through His word, and let’s let the Scriptures shape us more than social media or the news do.
My third piece of advice is to still seek out community, and support one another in the love of Christ. Maybe this is the time for you to get a few key people you trust in the church together (probably online or over the phone) to pray and to share the burdens of your lives together, starting up a small group. Maybe this is an opportunity for you to be the hands and feet of Jesus to your neighbor who has lost their job. Maybe make a phone call to that friend who you’ve lost contact with, and check in on those whom you care for. We are being asked to engage in “social distancing” right now; that is good, but I prefer the term “physical distancing,” because we still need one another, and we still need to be social as we support and care for one another. So let’s get creative with how we do that!
Yours in Christ,
The Rev. Ben Wulpi
