Quarantine Counsel From Your Pastors

Last Sunday, Pastor Eric offered us pastoral counsel regarding the ongoing quarantine. As the weeks stretch into months and the mandates continue to change, we all are experiencing a level of COVID-fatigue. Here are a few thoughts to help steady our souls in the midst of these trying times.

1. God is in absolute control of the pandemic and you shouldn’t be afraid of anything.
"Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:17).

While everyone else is worried about what the government is doing, keep your eyes trained on our king. Don't be overly concerned with what California is asking us to do or not do. Instead, concern yourself with what God thinks about what you are doing.

Fear God and be free. The masks. The limits on our gatherings. Even the lack of singing. These things are small in comparison. God can change them on Monday.

What does it look like to be free?

“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

2. The government cannot stop us from being the church.
The church exists to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ: to preach it, teach it, and make disciples of Jesus who follow him in this world, including here in California.

Regardless of whether or not there is a first amendment. Regardless of what authority rules over us (by God’s design). They could take away everything from us (even our very lives) and we’d still be the church.

Some of you will be called to be statesmen. Some of you are going to give your lives in defense of our freedom to worship together. We are grateful for our freedom to worship God openly and publicly and for those who defend our rights to do so. However, may we always reserve our deepest commitments and our strongest passions and stake our reputation upon the message of the Cross and not the U.S. constitution.

3. This quarantine is good for us.
The sooner we recognize this, the better off we’ll be.

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying we should wish for trials and suffering and economic hardships and even sickness. However, we can all agree that the bible’s outlook on these kinds of trials and sufferings and economic hardships and even sickness and death is overwhelmingly positive.

Compassionate (of course). Hopeful always. But angry? Resentful? Bitter? Complaining? Judgmental? Disgruntled? Up in arms and ready to fight? No.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for us" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

I don’t want us to be the same church we were back in March. We can’t be. God is doing something good for us and in us both individually and corporately. So whether we sing or not next Sunday. Whether we have to wear masks or return to online services. May we embrace the promise that God works all things together for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).