By Pastor Phil

Last week for the first time in my life I participated in the Sunday AM worship hour by livestream at home with my family. I will be posting more thoughts here later but I wanted to start with what others have written on how to maximize this time. One church has made available the following to print and use as individuals or as a family or with your church family(click view PDF):

Church Family Worship Guide (songs, scriptures to read/meditate on, prayer points, sermon application questions - use for family or personal or small group discussion): https://media-cloud.sermonaudio.com/text/45205509427.pdf

Sermon notes for kids: https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=43202147271173

For middle schoolers: https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=43202154172641

This from a Gospel Coalition article: For those of us quarantined with our families, now is the perfect time to begin (or intentionally continue) habits of worship together. As parents, we must take an active role in shaping the spiritual climate of our homes in the coming weeks.

As millions of Christians prepare to worship this week, many will be staring at a screen. Such technology is a wonderful gift that allows us, the body of Christ, to encourage one another, and we should be thankful. But we should beware of reducing the import of message because of its medium.

Worship is a participatory response to the glorious acts of redemption, grace, and mercy of our great God. It’s not just listening; it’s receiving and responding in song, fellowship, and prayer... Even if you are watching a service online, follow your typical practices: get dressed, open your Bible, follow along with Scripture readings, and focus your attention on the worship service. Allow these patterns to carry you through this season of separation from the body, helping you engage and respond to the Word of God preached and sung.

Moreover, allow your posture in your home to reflect your posture in your corporate gathering... this season of worship can draw us into deeper personal engagement with the Lord, making us more conscious of our worship... sing together. There’s a temptation to just sit and watch, but fight it...

As you worship, engage in prayer for the church as a church... Scripture reminds us that we can heartily join our brothers and sisters spread across our communities in praying together. Finally, discuss the sermon. Ask the Spirit of God to use the Word of God in the hearts of his people. If you are in a home full of people, be intentional about discussing the message and how it affects your family. If you live alone, call someone in your church to check on them, and initiate a conversation about the teaching you heard. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/family-worship/

For parents, this entire article I found helpful: https://thecripplegate.com/five-ways-to-help-your-kids-worship-through-live-stream/

Lastly Tim Challies gives a glimpse below into churches all around the world in this global pandemic:

https://www.challies.com/articles/how-the-world-worshipped-on-one-of-the-most-unusual-sundays-in-church-history/

P.S. here is the link to the full sermon notes for this Palm Sunday message 4/5 (also including the sermon discussion and application questions at the end):

https://media-cloud.sermonaudio.com/text/45205509427.pdf

Looking forward to worship with you this Lord's Day!