I hope you're staying safe and warm today. Even though we're all spread out, that doesn't mean we can't worship God! The church isn't a place we gather, but it's who we are as followers of Jesus.
So here's a simple 3-step process to worship God today in your home either by yourself or with your family.
Step 1: Connect
(answer these questions for yourself, or ask them to your family members)
What are you thankful for?
What is causing you stress?
Step 2: Read and Re-Tell
Pick a passage from the Bible (ideas at the bottom of this email). One person reads the Bible passage out loud, and the rest follow along. Someone else retells the story and others fill in what's missing.
Read the passage again. Discuss what this passage says about God, Jesus, or his plan to save us and make all things new.
Read the passage once more. Discuss what this passage says about humans. How do you relate to this passage?
Step 3: Reflect and Respond
According to this passage, what am I doing well?
What do I need to change? How can I take a small step in following Jesus in this way this week?
Who needs to hear this story, and how can I tell them?
This process works for all ages, and is a wonderful way to let the wisdom of Scripture speak directly into our lives so that we can take a next step of following Jesus this week. Of course, you can always sing a song together as well, and celebrate communion in your home, because the presence of Jesus is with anyone who gathers in his name!
I'll be having a short version of this conversation with my young kids over breakfast today, and we'll celebrate Jesus' body and blood given to us. And we'll share prayer requests for our church family.
I'm grateful to serve as one of your pastors, and I'd love to hear how the Lord met with you today if you choose to reply to this email.
Learning to follow Jesus with you,
- Pastor Drew
P.S. Here's some same Bible passages if you need some ideas:
God Saves Noah and His Family – Genesis 6:9-22, 7:1-24, 8:1-14
Abraham Gives His Son as an Offering – Genesis 22:1-19
God Spares His People – Exodus 12:1-28
Jesus and the Religious Leader – John 3:1-21
Jesus and the Paralyzed Man – Luke 5:17-26
Jesus Calms the Storm – Mark 4:35-41
Jesus Raises a Man from the Dead – John 11:1-44