Church closed over Coronavirus fears

[nonaeroterraqueous]

I must admit I rather hoped my church, at least, would continue to operate in spite of everything, but the pastor announced, today, that we would have no services of any kind for at least the next two weeks. Other churches of the same denomination in this area have also closed.

Oh, yeah, we may be live-streaming the service. Funny thing is, someone in the church suggested some of us get together at his house to watch the live stream...but, naturally, I can't go, because I'll be onstage, playing for an empty building...and a camera.

This thing is not going to pass in just two weeks, of course, and it hasn't really even arrived, yet.

 

[Heavenhome]

Yes, some may find it hard, but look at all the devices we have so we are not isolated from brothers and sisters.
So many sermons available on line, good music etc.
OK its not the same as face to face but its nothing compared to what early Christians faced, and some nowadays still do.

May we all have a blessed time spent with the Lord, for we are never alone

 

[maintenance man]

My church tried live-streaming today - it didn't go well. Maybe it will be better next week.

 

[MyLifeForChrist]

...folks are not thinking outside the box or simply turning to history. A good share of others (unfortunately) are simply hoping that this all births the death of fellowship and getting up on Sunday.
Why sending 'someone' biblically based & vocal to your Church during an outbreak is important

 

[Danthemailman]

My church had service on Sunday, but multiple other churches in my area had no service. Schools in my area are closing their doors until the end of March and I noticed that restaurants are closing at earlier times. The Mayor of a city nearby has limited gatherings in the city to no more than 50 people for the next two months and the Governor of the state has signed on as well. It's going to get worse before it gets better. My wife and I had previously booked a cruise back in December for the end of March, but our cruise and many other cruises have been cancelled. We may not end up traveling anywhere for vacation this year.

 

[Mountainmanbob]

My wife and I had previously booked a cruise back in December for the end of March, but our cruise and many other cruises have been cancelled. We may not end up traveling anywhere for vacation this year.

My wife and I did our first cruise to Alaska a while back. A lot of people being herded around like animals. Probably not the best time to take a cruise. Some of the stories going around regarding ones stuck in their rooms on ships seem terrible.

Overall on a 1 to 10 score
I give cruise ships a 7 at the highest.
M-Bob

 

[Heavenhome]

Danthemailman,
I hope you get a refund.
Actually be glad that it was cancelled before you got to be on the ship. I couldn't think of much worse than to be quarantined on board a ship or unable to berth anywhere, which is happening now.

 

[Marumorose]

I must admit I rather hoped my church, at least, would continue to operate in spite of everything, but the pastor announced, today, that we would have no services of any kind for at least the next two weeks. Other churches of the same denomination in this area have also closed.

Oh, yeah, we may be live-streaming the service. Funny thing is, someone in the church suggested some of us get together at his house to watch the live stream...but, naturally, I can't go, because I'll be onstage, playing for an empty building...and a camera.

This thing is not going to pass in just two weeks, of course, and it hasn't really even arrived, yet.

Christians should be getting together and praying for this virus. We claim to go around praying for the sick, not worrying about infections but now we are failing to stay in Christ.
Our Lord Jesus Christ and his discliples healed a lot of diseases that were contagious.
Matthew 18:20 says "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Psalms 91:5-6 says" You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday"
We must be strong and courageous as christians (2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind)
If we continue to get together and pray, WE WILL DEFEAT THE VIRUS

 

[Danthemailman]

My wife and I did our first cruise to Alaska a while back. A lot of people being herded around like animals. Probably not the best time to take a cruise. Some of the stories going around regarding ones stuck in their rooms on ships seem terrible.

Overall on a 1 to 10 score
I give cruise ships a 7 at the highest.
M-Bob

My wife and I had previously been on a western and an eastern Caribbean cruise and this time it would have been a southern Caribbean cruise. Even if the coronavirus dies down in the future, I may still be leery to book another cruise.

 

[MyLifeForChrist]

Matthew 18:20 says "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Amen.
Too many Christians today are using this very simple problem to subvert the verse above and to teach our children that simply lying down and waiting for someone else (ie. the government or church leadership) to solve a community's nurture or fellowship issues are always their one and only solutions.

 

[Danthemailman]

Danthemailman,
I hope you get a refund.
Actually be glad that it was cancelled before you got to be on the ship. I couldn't think of much worse than to be quarantined on board a ship or unable to berth anywhere, which is happening now.

We had previously called Carnival to check on cancelling and they were offering a 50% refund along with a 50% credit to book another cruise within the next year, but soon afterward, they announced that they cancelled our cruise altogether, so now we are getting a full refund.

I had a disturbing experience when I called Southwest airlines to cancel our flight. When I googled Southwest airlines, a list of numbers came up under Southwest and I called the number related to cancellations. Somehow I ended up calling a shady travel agent who posed as a Southwest agent who told me I would get a full refund, which I thought sounded too good to be true. Well it was! The scammer I was talking to posed as a Southwest airlines employee and after I gave him my itinerary number for my flight, he had all the information he needed. He proceeded to tell me that I would see a credit for my refund appear on my credit card statement within 7 days. He was very polite and very convincing.

30 minutes after I got off the phone with him, he called me back and said my credit card was declined to receive my refund credit and I needed to call the bank to get things straightened out. Well it turns out, the bank made it clear this man was not with Southwest, but was with a travel agency located in India. The dishonest travel agent was trying to charge me for the same airline tickets again instead of giving me a refund. Lucky for us, our bank has excellent fraud protection. We spoke with out bank and they said the charge was declined, they blocked the shady travel agent from attempting any further charges and just to be safe, we cancelled our credit card and are receiving a new card. Thank the Lord! I visited the website of that travel agency and saw many complaints and one person straight up said the site was a scam!

 

[grasping the after wind]

Amen.
Too many Christians today are using this very simple problem to subvert the verse above and to teach our children that simply lying down and waiting for someone else (ie. the government or church leadership) to solve a community's nurture or fellowship issues are always their one and only solutions.

At times and places in the past and perhaps even today just publicly advocating for being a Christian carried a higher mortality rate than Covid-19. Yet people continued to come together in Christian community.

 

[Hazelelponi]

I must admit I rather hoped my church, at least, would continue to operate in spite of everything, but the pastor announced, today, that we would have no services of any kind for at least the next two weeks. Other churches of the same denomination in this area have also closed.

Oh, yeah, we may be live-streaming the service. Funny thing is, someone in the church suggested some of us get together at his house to watch the live stream...but, naturally, I can't go, because I'll be onstage, playing for an empty building...and a camera.

This thing is not going to pass in just two weeks, of course, and it hasn't really even arrived, yet.

I think people aren't realizing there is no asymptomatic spread...

This is spread through cough/droplets during the early days of showing symptoms so people who have developed a cough (or those who cough as a matter of course as they might not know when they catch it) should stay home, other than that if someone hasn't traveled or otherwise been exposed they shouldn't be worried or are not coughing they have no reason to stay home or avoid others who, like them, are not showing any symptoms.

Our churches are still open here, all of them (except for the PCUSA church), and they've given guidance for sick people or symptomatic people to stay home... other than that, business as usual at our churches in my area.

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

I think people aren't realizing there is no asymptomatic spread...

This is spread through cough/droplets during the early days of showing symptoms....

I've been telling people the same thing. There has been a lot of emphasis on hand sanitizer, and people fear this disease like an invisible monster, but the mode of transmission is no mystery. Hand sanitizer is primarily for fecal-oral transmission, but the transmission of this disease is always from inhaling someone else's cough.

Christians should be getting together and praying for this virus. We claim to go around praying for the sick, not worrying about infections but now we are failing to stay in Christ.

I agree. In the end, we will still be exposed, despite staying home from church, and all we will have to show for it is that we failed to put our trust in God.

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

My church tried live-streaming today - it didn't go well. Maybe it will be better next week.

What went wrong?

 

[maintenance man]

What went wrong?

No sound for the first five minutes in the first service. Video buffering delays in the second service.

 

[nonaeroterraqueous]

Now all gatherings are officially banned. I can't find any kind of church still holding a service in my area. Frankly, I'd be willing to attend church in spite of the virus, or the government.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Christians should be getting together and praying for this virus. We claim to go around praying for the sick, not worrying about infections but now we are failing to stay in Christ.
Our Lord Jesus Christ and his discliples healed a lot of diseases that were contagious.
Matthew 18:20 says "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Psalms 91:5-6 says" You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday"
We must be strong and courageous as christians (2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind)
If we continue to get together and pray, WE WILL DEFEAT THE VIRUS

We are praying together and on our own I pray each night and have yet to be scared because praying and social distencing is all I can do freaking out will not help me or anyone else.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Now all gatherings are officially banned. I can't find any kind of church still holding a service in my area. Frankly, I'd be willing to attend church in spite of the virus, or the government.

Keep in mind that even though yes everyone is at risk, but most of this is for the elderly or people with underlying health conditions as most others have recovered or are recovering with few serious complaications. That is how I am looking at this not just for me but for my grandparents for the people at my camp for special needs who have serious underlying health concerns.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Now all gatherings are officially banned. I can't find any kind of church still holding a service in my area. Frankly, I'd be willing to attend church in spite of the virus, or the government.

You can try for a small gathering in your home, or perhaps in the deacons (or other elder) home... do a study and prayer group.

Maybe get with the elders and pastor and see about breaking up the membership in age appropriate groups or something and have several smaller groups meeting during this time..

Also, make sure you all are still doing community outreach. Bringing meals or supplies to the elderly in your church etc. Making sure everyone is taken care of.