Dear First Pres,
I can’t remember a time like this. It feels a bit surreal. The Coronavirus, COVID-19, is capturing the world’s attention and stirring a great sense of fear.
So, first, let me remind you of Psalm 46. The Psalmist writes, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” I encourage us to choose faith today rather than fear. We serve a sovereign God. He is our refuge and strength. We are in His hands, no matter what our circumstances. In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul writes to young Timothy, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (cowardice, fear), but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” So, beloved, in that spirit of self-discipline, choose faith today. As you do that and as you share that faith with others, I believe God will use you to be His salt and light in our city.
And, as we act as salt and light, we need to also act with wisdom in doing what we can to keep the virus from spreading. So, I encourage you to do all the things that you’ve been hearing elsewhere. Be diligent in your personal hygiene. Be careful in person to person contact. And if you're sick, stay home.
When it comes to decisions about our church gatherings, we are prayerfully considering the counsel of the Fresno County Department of Public Health. At this point, their website says this: “There is no immediate threat to the general public, and the FCDPH is not recommending cancellation of events, closure of schools, or buildings at this time.” Our Governor has recommended avoiding gatherings of more than 250 people, but at this point, we are almost always below that number in both of our services. So, we will continue to gather for worship and ministry at this time.
You may have noticed this last week that we didn’t do our traditional greeting and hand holding in worship. You can expect that pattern to continue for the near future. It seems wise at this point to avoid hugs, holy kisses, and handshakes. We will continue to consider other needed adjustments as the situation unfolds.
Corporate worship is such an important part of our lives in Christ. I encourage you to continue to make it a priority in your life. However, if you are sick or if your immune system is particularly weak, I encourage you to stay home. If you do need to stay home, you don’t need to stay disconnected from your church. You can access a live feed or a recording of our entire 8:30 service on YouTube. Access our channel via this link First Pres Fresno Live. Subscribe to the channel, and you will have access to the live stream.
One more thing, if you do plan to stay home and watch online, please let your church know by emailing staff@fpcfresno.org. This will help us continue to stay connected with one another for encouragement and care.
Finally, remember Beloved, God is at work today. Let us seek His face while asking Him for wisdom, healing, and courageous faith so that we might be His salt and light in our city.
Blessings,
Jeremy
PS: As you know, this situation is changing rapidly. Please be paying attention to the church website and social media or your email for any updates.
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