by Pastor Brad Rogers
Social distancing is a misnomer. What we actually need is physical distance in order to prevent the spread of disease. This is important to note because our souls deeply yearn for connection with God and with one another. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 12, “…so in Christ we, though many, form one body and each member belongs to the others.” In this time of greater social distance—even from our community of faith—many of us are left feeling spiritually dis-membered, cut off from the spiritual body.
Psalm 42 speaks to the soul’s longing to gather in worship of God:
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? – Psalm 42:1-2
There exists in each of us a longing to be with God and God’s people. How can we as believers who sense this longing to connect in a meaningful way also protect one another? The psalmist provides the answer to dis-memberment, saying “…therefore I will RE-MEMBER you…” (Psalm 42:6).
If you are feeling cut off from the Christian community, from your church family, you can REMEMBER one another. We can reconnect in ways that go beyond the current social and physical limitations.
- Remember one another in prayer.
- Remember one another with personal connections by phone, text, email, social media, or other safe social measures.
- Remember to gather in worship together online.
- Remember to put your hope in God, who is the Source of our salvation.
This beautiful psalm closes with a charge: “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:11).
We will worship together again, physically. Until then, our memories can give us hope for the future. I urge you to spend some time reading through Psalm 42 and remember your church body in prayer today.