Entries tagged with pandemic

Entry tags:

Church notes - 16th August 2020

( 16 August 2020 )

Entry tags:

Eightieth to Eighty Fourth Days of Isolation

The Eightieth to Eighty Fourth Days – the thirteenth online morning service and the thirty second to thirty fourth days of working from home. (No Bible Study this week, more below). The sermon was on Daniel 2 and the three Jewish men who relied upon God to get them through the situation the King put them in. Their faith stood firm when they were put into the furnace. God was there for them through that trouble. He is there for us through all troubles. All three days of work went well. As for Bible Study.
It will start again next week. And given the easing of restrictions it will be in person. Prayer: That the one who’s running the Bible Study will get the rest he needs. Wisdom for the night. Overcoming fears about getting together again.

Entry tags:

Seventy Third to Seventy Seventh Days of Isolation

The Seventy Third to Seventy Seventh Days – the twelfth online morning service and the thirtieth and thirty first days of working from home. (No Bible Study this week.) The sermon was on Elijah, on his reliance on the LORD as he confronted King Ahab and the prophets of Baal. Also on his reaction to Jezebel threatening his life. (1 Kings 17 – 19.) The message about God being there for us in times of trouble was very topical for these times. Both days of work went well. Good news – an extension of my contract until the end of September.
Prayer – that I would be able to work longer. Either another extension or there would be permanent position available.

Entry tags:

Seventieth Day of Isolation

Seventieth Day of Isolation – The twenty ninth day of working from home. A usual day of work from home.

Entry tags:

Sixty Seventh and Sixty Eighth Days of Isolation

Sixty Seventh and Sixty Eighth Days – The twenty seventh and twenty eighth day of working from home and the eighth Bible Study video chat. Both days of work went well. There were no problems with the workflow. Bible Study was on Philippians 4. A very apt passage of Scripture at this time, given the Pandemic and what is going on in the United States… Next week, we start on 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Prayer – three men with cancer – for healing and for them to get through upcoming procedures.

Entry tags:

May 2020 Overall

Entry tags:

The Sixty Sixth Day of Isolation

Sixty Sixth Day – the eleventh online morning service. A rather good service about Ruth and the fact that she had faith despite being a Moabite. There was also a focus on Boaz as a Kinsman Redeemer, and the ultimate Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus. There was a slight interruption when my brother and his partner arrived, but that was fine. It was good to catch up with them.

Entry tags:

Sixty Third Day of Isolation

Sixty Third Day – the twenty sixth day of working from home. Work went well, even though my sister and older nephew visited. Good news – he managed to get a job at a mine nearby. Hallelujah.

Entry tags:

The Sixtieth and Sixty First Days of Isolation

Sixtieth and Sixty First Days – the twenty fourth and twenty fifth days of working from home, and the seventh Bible Study video chat. Both days of work went well. I’m focussing better with my nephew back at school. He is enjoying being back at school and seeing his friends again. (The main problem might be with the bubblers being unavailable.) Bible Study was good too. Continuing through our study of Philippians with Chapter 3, another important passage of Scripture. Considering everything else as loss, compared to Christ…
Prayer – that everything would continue to go well with a first time pregnancy in the group. (Due in August.) Praise points: That school has gone back full time, also that the procedure on the melanoma went well.

Entry tags:

Fifty Ninth Day of Isolation

Fifty Ninth Day – The tenth online morning service. A rather good service with a sermon focused on Joshua 2, about Rahab as a person of faith. My nephew didn’t want to do Sunday school though. Maybe next week. Prayer – that he would be able to join in.

Entry tags:

Fifty Sixth Day of Isolation

Fifty Sixth Day – The twenty third day of working from home. The day went well. I was able to focus on the work.

Entry tags:

Fifty Third and Fifty Fourth Days of Isolation

Fifty Third and Fifty Fourth Days – The twenty first and twenty second days of working from home and the sixth Bible Study video chat. Both days of work went well. I focused despite having to help my nephew with his school work. However, from next week, school will be back full time, so that will be good. It would be better for both of us. He’ll get the attention he needs in the classroom environment, and I’ll be able to focus better at work. (See below for praise point.) Bible study was back, so that was good too.
Philippians Chapter 2 is a rather important chapter. Paul was writing to the Philippian Christians about the character of Christ and how we should be like Him. (And not just in His humility, but in other ways too. Being selfless.) Prayer points: Discernment and wisdom for a couple as one of their children wishes to be baptised at a rather young age; healing for older relatives. (A procedure on a melanoma, and for recovery from a stroke; Another child is sad. Praise points: One person’s breathing is recovering and that I have been able to help my nephew with his schoolwork.

Entry tags:

The Fifty Second Day of Isolation

Fifty Second Day – The twelfth livestream church service. The ninth online morning service. There isn’t an evening service tonight (and probably not for another two weeks), but it probably needed to be off so it can be improved. The same caveats regarding the morning service still apply, but it was good that there was still a dedication regardless of the lack of interaction. Even so, I asked my nephew if he would join in on Sunday School. But first, the message was on Nehemiah and the fact that he prayed to God about the situation in Jerusalem before acting.
A rather topical message. Just acting without praying wouldn’t be a good idea. But Sunday School was good too, with the lesson being about the Battle of Jericho. Despite the instructions being unusual, the Israelites obeyed God and captured the city. Even though he was restless my nephew learned some things. He is going to be re-reading the memory verse (Joshua 1:9) through the week with the help of his grandmother, so that’s good too. Hallelujah.

Entry tags:

The Forty Ninth Day of Isolation

Forty Ninth Day – The twentieth day of working from home. Work went well. I focused better, as I didn’t need to help my nephew with his schoolwork (he’s started going back, albeit not full time yet).

Entry tags:

The Forty Seventh Day of Isolation

Forty Seventh Day – The nineteenth day of working from home. Work went well. There was more focus, so that was good. However, there wasn’t any Bible Study. Most were weary, and in need of rest. But it should be on next week. Prayer request: that those who need rest would get it.

Entry tags:

The Forty Fifth and Forty Sixth Days of Isolation

Forty Fifth and Forty Sixth Days – The tenth and eleventh livestream church services and the eighteenth day of working from home. The morning service was good. Caleb, one of the spies spent by Moses into the Promised Land, being faithful to God and having God’s promise fulfilled to him after 45 years of waiting. Quite topical (given the situation, and I’m still waiting for church to resume meeting in person. But waiting until the right time is important.) The evening service was good too. Even if there were less people than the week before.
(But those who are working would still be busy, including the person I mentioned last week, who works in one of those busier professions.) Even so I did catch up with two other friends whom I hadn’t seen for nearly two months. But more importantly the message from Philippians (about Paul saying ‘To live is Christ’) was excellent. Today, work was good. Helping my nephew with his school work did distract from it a little, but not too much.

Entry tags:

The Forty Second Day of Isolation

Forty Second Day - The seventeenth day of working from home. The workflow is as it should be with the music helping with the focus. I still needed to help my nephew with his school work, but that was better than expected.

Entry tags:

The Fortieth Day of Isolation

The Fortieth Day – the sixteenth day of working from home and the fifth Bible Study video conference. Work went well, albeit with some interruption as I was helping my nephew with his school work. (One of those who either need the classroom environment, or someone hanging over his shoulder, to focus on the learning materials. He’s still fairly young.) Bible study went well. (Some interruption from another family member, but that was brief.) Most of the group were there. We did the last chapter of Crazy Love.
A rather good reflection on what the book was about. But from next week, we’re going to focus more on Scripture, starting with Philippians 1. (Also doing devotionals based on that epistle, but mainly focusing on the actual Scripture). It was good that they were all there, although it will be better when we would be able to meet in person again. Praying (personally) that it would be sooner, rather than later.)

Entry tags:

The Thirty Eighth and Thirty Ninth Days of Isolation

The Thirty Eighth and Thirty Nineth Days – the eighth and nineth livestream church services and the fifteenth day of working from home. I am still waiting for when church will restart properly, but the morning service was good, talking about Abraham being his faith credited as righteousness and being a friend of God. It’s still similar to the previous morning services. The evening service was better (being on Zoom) and there was interaction. But first, it being on Philippians 1:1 – 11 was topical.
Paul was missing the Philippian Christians and longed to be with them in person, rather than just interacting via Epaphroditus. The prayers that Paul prays in the passage are those that can be prayed in these trying time too. In any case, it was also good to interact with others in the service (including one who may, or may not, be more than just a sister in Christ). Work was also good today. The focus was better.

Entry tags:

April 2020 Overall