I last wrote to you at the beginning of February, and what a difference a couple of months can make.  In that column I wrote “And the virus is high.”  I’m really glad to be able to say that active cases in Georgia are less than a quarter of what they were two months ago!  And Lamar County is now at one active case per 1000 citizens.  As far as we know, there are no active COVID cases among our membership.  So much to be thankful for!

And there is more good news.  Our Sunday morning attendance continues to grow.  Brother Reed, our interim preacher, is giving us great spiritual food.  The church is financially stable, thanks to your faithfulness.  After a hiccup or two our live streams are not only back to their former quality, but we can now stream from either the sanctuary or the gym.  Enjoy!

As I type this, outside my window Jim Burnette and a handful of men are repairing the water service to the sanctuary, annex, and educational building.  Thank you for your patience, I know this has been inconvenient. By the time you read this the problem will be solved!

Though no one can see the future, I dare to hope that by fall we will be back to our regular full schedule.  But let’s not let down our guard; please continue to take precautions.  Although it is great to see people returning to church be sure you distance as best you can.  It is up to all of us to slow the spread and hasten the day when our lives can return to normal.

Be sure to read the columns from our Generations Following team and our Pulpit Search team.  Pray for these committees and let them know you appreciate their hard work.  I hope to see you Sunday!

 

As of January 1, 2021, the United States surpassed 20 million infections from SARS-CoV-2, and more than 346,000 deaths. On the global landscape, infection cases surpassed 83,832,334.  We have weathered some difficult days. Looking back, March 15 remains to me a day that I will hardly ever forget.  I actually remember exactly what I was doing when things started to get weird in Lamar County.  As I do every spring, I had met with who at the time were my U10 girls soccer team for practice.  There are some specific details that come to memory.  I remember getting picked at by one of my assistant coaches because I had the nerve to wear a Mary Persons High School soccer t-shirt.  At the time I was celebrating a student of ours that had made the soccer team there.  Lilou, who is from France, had been living with Mark and Heather Smith at the time.  I remember having a conversation with a parent about how we might need to go get some extra diapers to last us for a couple of weeks just in case.  I also remember having to tell the girls we would not have practice for a couple of weeks until all of this covid stuff went away.  Little did we know that nearly a year would go by and this “stuff” still has not left us.

In reflection today I have had moments of discouragement.  I suspect many of you reading this might feel the same way.  The normalcy of our lives had been impacted tremendously in many areas.  One major area for me personally was the normalcy of church life.  If there was anything consistent it was the function of my faith practice.  Now, today, things just are not the same.  Many people still do not feel safe to gather.  Others find themselves discouraged by low numbers and what looks like a step backward.  This could be farther from the truth.  The Lord has reminded me that He is in fact still Sovereign and very much active in the lives of those that believe and faithfully trust Him.  Do you remember the words from scripture, “For such a time as this”?

 

 

Jesus has called us to follow Him.  He has provided His Spirit for us that we might be empowered to carry the Gospel to the nations.  This mission has yet to be fulfilled.  For such a time as this covid season, we have been placed with a responsibility to pursue the fight of faith for the faithless.  We cannot miss our kingdom assignment.  To quote Pastor and Author, Tony Evans, “To miss your kingdom assignment because you have become too caught up in your personal kingdom itself is the greatest tragedy you could ever face”.

Personally, those are difficult words, but they are words we need to hear.  I am grateful that our church has kept the focus on the mission.  I want to celebrate with you a couple of things that you may not be aware.  While there have been moments that attendance has seemed down, our doors have been open to many visitors that are searching for encouragement and healing.  Several young adults have stepped out of darkness and into light by way of Jesus.  Yes, salvation is still present. God is still moving.  Missionaries are sharing the gospel in difficult regions of the world encouraged by the faithful here at FBC Barnesville.  People are praying more than they probably ever have before.  There have been good days in the past.  There will be great days in the future.  Let’s continue to be faithful in the midst of seasons of uncertainty.  Remember the words given to us by Matthew 28:20, “… I am with you always, to the very end of the age”.