2 John 1:5 Not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning that we love one another.  And this is love that we walk according to His commandments.

Together again! Many of us will come together this Lord’s day to worship in one place for the first time in eleven weeks.  Many will continue to worship from home, together in Spirit.  Our worship service will look a little different. Our time together may be a little different.  We wonder, what will life be like as we move forward?  The answer is, no one knows for sure.  We do know a couple of things, though.

One, we need to maintain our connections.  The thing many of us missed the most was being able to be with God’s people, worshipping, fellowshipping and working together.  Social isolation has the same physical effect on us as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.  We need each other and we need to be together.  That’s why God gave us the Church and why Jesus referred to “those that do the will of my Father” as His family.

Two, there will continue to be a great need to serve others around us.  Unemployment is at an all-time high with over 40M people unemployed.  Overdoses have surged in many places. Mental health issues are soaring.  The suicide rate typically increases significantly (.78 points) for each 1% increase in the unemployment rate, according to Psychology Today.  We are surrounded by a world that desperately needs love and hope.

Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning.  Keeping together is progress.  Working together is success.” What a great opportunity for us to come together again and work together to love and serve those around us.