As the number of coronavirus cases across Melbourne continues to escalate day by day, the Premier’s daily briefings have become a regular and disturbing part of our new normal. These are harder days to live through than the previous lockdown, which involved the whole country and where it seemed easier to trace the spread of new infections. The threat feels more serious this time, with the wearing of masks becoming compulsory outside the home.
So in the midst of these challenging times, where is God to be found? How do we hold on to hope and peace? How do we even begin to know how to pray?
There is comfort in this week’s passage from Romans. Paul knows a thing or two about feeling weak and helpless. It’s at these times that we can turn to God’s Spirit to provide the strength and grace we need and to help us to pray. The Spirit – who searches our hearts and also knows the will of God – intercedes for us with sighs and groans too deep for words (Romans 8:26). God knows what we need even when we can’t quite express it in words. Paul also assures us that nothing in the whole of creation – not the threat of coronavirus – not hardship or even death – can keep us apart from the love of God in Christ Jesus (8:39).
We will be holding a Zoom worship meeting this Sunday morning from 9.45 am. I will host the meeting from my home but it will be an opportunity to hold a larger (virtual) gathering and to see each others’ faces. We will be basing our worship on the attached worship@home resource for this week, so it would be handy to have a copy present. We can send you a link to the meeting or a phone number and meeting details if you sign up by emailing the Croydon UC church office on office@croydon.unitingchurch.org.au or using the form in the sidebar.
Click here for worship@home resources God is with us … always - 26 July 2020