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| Mrs. White's notebook for sermon notes. |
There are times, in our lives, when we are not able to attend church in person. We may miss the pews, the song books, the minister, and the people. The church building, itself, is such a wonderful place to be able to go and hear the prayers and listen to the sermon in person. There is such a sense of beauty and holiness in a regular routine of church attendance.
The last few months, we have been having church in the living room. This has become a very precious habit of attending our home church each Sunday morning. We watch America's pastor, Dr. Charles Stanley, and are greatly comforted by his sermons. We may not be able to go anywhere right now, for whatever the reason - the weather, sickness, etc., but we can attend a special service at home.
We have been having a daily Bible time for more than 4 years now, my husband and I. It has made an enormous difference in our lives. Now we have added a weekly church time, together, in the living room.
My husband will call me, at the appointed time, to say that the sermon is all set up and ready for us. I will get my notebook and a pen. Then I will happily walk downstairs to the living room. I have a "journal notebook" which was a gift from In Touch Ministry. It has a ribbon marker and is perfect for taking notes while watching the sermon.
Just before each sermon, I write the date, the day of the week (Sunday) and the name of the message. I then proceed to take notes throughout the message. This has created a record of our "attendance" and faithfulness in doing church at home. We can also see, at a glance, the messages we have already watched, reflect on key points, and be encouraged when looking over the notes. It is easier to remember the lessons when one writes them down. It has been such a blessing to actually see that we have been doing church every single week for months now! It has helped us both very much.
We all need a steady diet of church attendance. We need spiritual nourishment. Our marriages need a regular dose of encouragement. Doing Bible time and Church, together in the home, is a wonderful way to strengthen our faith and stabilize our walk with the Lord.
blessings,
Mrs. White
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I love Dr.Stanley. He's such a gentle grandfather and is not afraid to tell the truth.
ReplyDeleteMrs. White, this is what we are doing also. Husband and I have church at home. I am disabled and also have chronic illness/pain. We sing hymns together. We discuss Bible passages and also pray together every day. It's a time of great blessing. As the days grow darker I could see more and more folks doing this. Love Kelly
ReplyDeleteThatsounds wonderful. We do have some online services here, and always try to watch one particular one.
ReplyDeleteHello Mrs. White, what a lovely post. We too have had church in home for several months, though our church has opened recently with limited attendance. So we are able to physically be there a little more often now.
ReplyDeleteI am curious of your time the Mister. Do you still gather for Bible reading after dinner? And, since you finished the Bible are you restarting it or focusing on the gospels?
My husband and I have tried but he has various commitments with our church and is gone often. Since it's just the two of us at home, and I have bible time in the morning, I am looking for other options for us to study together.
It's always good to hear how others have had trial and errors along the way, to give encouragement and ideas for my own journey. Especially since men don't like to feel pushed into something.
Thank you so much. It's so good to hear from you. I've needed this.
Peace be with you,
Mrs. Peterson
We, too, are having church at home. We've been watching a couple of different local churches on YouTube. I'm thankful for that, but I do miss worshipping together.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
Since my mil has been unable to attend her church, we decided to spend Sundays with her. We also bring lunch. And after we leave, my DH has begun driving me all around the beautiful town where he grew up. I never realized that just turning one corner resulted in magnificent ocean views, since for years we always took the shortest way home. Now we take the scenic way. I enjoyed hearing about your notebook idea!
ReplyDelete