This Week in Faith 5-22-20
/Come to Me All Who Have COVID Weariness, and I Will Give You Rest
This is a great reminder of the rest all of us need, and can find in Jesus. Especially for those of you who are really struggling during this time, I hope this is a good reminder for you. And a good admonition to not suffer in silence but to reach out to someone and let them know you are hurting. It also includes a song we are singing in worship this Sunday.
Click here to read the article by Benjamin Vrbicek.
Mothering in a Pandemic
This article is full of grace and encouragement for parenting during this time. There is a lot to think about and a lot of pressure we can put on ourselves to keep up with all the posts of what everyone else is doing and getting done. But our time with God is most important right now as we are desperate for something to anchor our souls. There’s an interesting connection to our study of Exodus and Exodus 12 in particular as well. Something I hadn’t really thought as the challenge for Israelite parents as they left Egypt for the Promised Land.
Click here to read Thea article by Anne Swindell.
Why the Coronavirus Crisis Hits Teenagers Particularly Hard: Developmental Scientists Explain
It’s helpful to understand how the effects of social distancing might be manifesting themselves in your kids. It’s easy for me to chalk up their frustrating behavior to being tired or not wanting to listen, but I need to remember that there are real effects to their mental and social health that might even make them act out of character. And, while the article credits our kids’ need for social interaction to being evolutionarily wired for it, we know that they need it because they are made in the image of God and our God is relational. And while this article is a little old now, so the school suggestions are not as helpful as we move into the summer, there’s a lot to take away about understanding what’s going on in our kids and how we can respond to it in a way that acknowledges it and helps them.
Click here to read the article by Leah Lessard and Hannah Schacter.
How an Evil Virus Points to the Crushing Weight of the Fall
This is a thoughtful piece on the difference between asking “Why is this happening to me?” and “Why is this happening to us?” in the midst of suffering. Suffering often feels arbitrary because, while there are plenty of times we suffer as a result of our bad choices, there are just as many times that suffering seems to come out of the blue. And while we can’t always answer why God allows us to experience suffering [he can, but he doesn’t always share that info with us], we can understand why suffering exists. And as we understand and experience the root of suffering in this world, it points us to a savior who gives us hope in the next world.
Click here to read the article by David French.
Redemptive Re-entry Inventory
This is a worksheet to help you think through returning to normal family life. It gives you questions to ask about the past few months and about what is most important for your family as you have the opportunity to create a new normal going forward.
Click here to use the worksheet from Kristen Hatton.
A List of Great Christian Videos Free on Amazon Prime Video
I’ll be honest, I’ve watched very few things on this list. Especially the “Christian” movies which I’m not always a big fan of [but that’s a conversation for another day :)]. But I didn’t realize that these different types of things are available on Amazon Prime Video for free. The documentaries of people from church history, the Ligonier teaching series, and even the Christianity Explored class that Pastor Nathan will be teaching in the fall. So, there are some good things on the list to check out if you have a subscription to Amazon Prime Video, or if you are “borrowing” one from a friend!
