(Translated Version)
Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you all!
Praise the Lord. Even though yesterday’s (3/22) Sunday worship service was delayed due to technical difficulties, all Sunday School teachers were able to adjust the start times of their classes and notify their students immediately. The live stream technical team was able to resolve the technical problems in a timely manner and our church finally was able to conduct the worship at 11 o’clock smoothly. Thank you everyone for your dedication and cooperation and let’s give glory to God!
Today, I would like to share with you that as we are in the face of the pandemic, let’s take this opportunity to start “Koinonia in the new norm”! To most parents, they may start to work from home and see the biggest change in their lives, which is seeing their children returning or staying home. Thanks to God that our children are coming back from the world to our arms and we no longer need to wait until Thanksgiving Day or Christmas to see them!
The following are some tips that may be helpful to our church families and keep us calm through these changes:
- Give them a hug: “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” (Psalm 127: 3, ESV). They are heritages not only when they were born and tiny, but they always have been! Let’s give them a hug every day, more than a few times a day, just like following three meals a day, for it has been a long time since we enjoyed three meals a day with them, isn’t it? Embracing them and show them how grateful you are for the heritage you have received from God.
- Create a routine: Find out what your children’s schedules are for tomorrow or for the rest of the week and also share your own work schedules with them. Parents can create an order for the house together with their children in the face of the new norm and even make time to complete a small project. For example, having your children to help you prepare the family dinner is OK! Be creative and come up with ideas to interact with your children, otherwise you will see your children be distracted by worldly things in their study rooms.
- Start family devotions: Find a most appropriate time to have family sharing reflections from Bible reading that day, praying with each other, coming to the altar and giving thanks to God (ref. Deut. 6: 4-7) in your house. Have a family discussion if you would like to seize the opportunity to dedicate songs to God during Sunday worship services and our church can help with the recordings in advance.
To my brothers and sisters who have no kids or live alone: Remember our church is your family! Take this time to find a spiritual prayer partner and live this new norm together. And please pray for our church! May God give us wisdom and strength and may God provide a way out for us thru this challenging time (ref. I Cor. 10:13). May we continue to walk with the Lord!
In Christ,
Pastor Mickey Hsiao and Mrs. Amanda Hsiao