The COVID-19 pandemic has forced religious congregations to stay at home after the doors have been closed to all churches, across the country.
However, religious life has not stopped. Congregations are discovering new ways to meet virtually on online video platforms.
In this time of great anxiety, leaders of all faiths have both an opportunity and responsibility to step up with words of comfort and compassion, drawing on the depths of their sacred traditions and Divine messages.Pastor Granver Essen has recognised this much needed spiritual sustenance, and decided to address it by starting his spiritual feeding scheme, every Sunday, from 10h00, to 12h00. Chairs will be provided and social distancing protocols will also be adhered to.
“I believe that God has called us at this time to preach the gospel of the kingdom, as we are living in trying times.
One thing I can say about covid 19, it made the great in the earth look so weak, but that is exactly the place that the Lord wanted us to be in, so that God’s strength could come in through a people that would call upon Him.
And that’s what we are doing right now as a church, reaching out to the community with the good news of the kingdom. Letting everyone know that Jesus Christ is still in the business of salvation, and that He is still the answer for a dying world today”; Pastor Essen stated.
The lasting effect of covid-19 on worshippers remains to be seen. Will people flock back to their places of worship when finally allowed to? Or will habits be broken and connections lost as people discover other ways to pray and nourish their spiritual lives outside of Sunday church?
Perhaps the creativity that these new circumstances demand will lead to a wider range of expressions of worship, and fundamentally change the nature of churches in the 21st century.Whatever the future looks like, creative and new forms of care and worship are emerging. It is hard to imagine these won’t leave a lasting legacy on worshippers. We can rest assured that people like Pastor Granver Essen will be there to provide us with the necessary spiritual nourishment.
By: Lorraine Richards