Churches resuming in-person services
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Richville Rundown
Sheila Ward
March is here! Happy birthday to all the ones having birthdays this month. As I mentioned in last week’s column about thunder in February, frost in April, I have a note on my calendar that it thundered on the 15th. So, we’ll have to see what happens around that time in April! This week has been warmer than usual. Makes you want to get outside and get ready to plant a garden. However, you might want to be able to cover the plants around then.
Churches in the area are starting to have inside services as the COVID-19 numbers are in decline. Sardis has inside worship services at 11, but if you are not comfortable attending you can listen on their YouTube channel, Sardis Baptist Church. Union Baptist has Sunday School at 10 in their fellowship hall, then worship at 11 in the sanctuary. They practice social distancing and wearing masks. Concord continues their inside worship services with Sunday School at 10 and worship at 11. They also have Wednesday evening service at 6:30 p.m. Providence will begin this Sunday, March 7, with inside worship service at 11 a.m. with social distancing and wearing masks. We will continue to have drive-in worship service at 9 a.m. Rockford Baptist will begin inside worship services this Sunday, also.
The current stay-at-home mandate will have expired and Gov. Ivey will have announced what the plans for the state are in the upcoming months by the time this is printed. I think everyone is ready to try to get some normalcy in our lives. But can things ever return to “before COVID”? As much as everyone seems to want that, I believe it’s impossible; like squirting the toothpaste out of the tube, you can’t put it back the way it was. However, we can learn and create a new normal.
School attendance has been good. Teachers, staff and students seem to be adjusting to the changes and precautions that must be taken to stay healthy. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since schools, restaurants, churches, and businesses shut down for this virus. Sometimes, it seems much longer! Everyone has had to make so many adjustments in this past year.
Brother George in his sermon this week used Philippians 2:12b-13, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” I realized that often we forget that our salvation is a free gift from God; that we are working out, not working on, our salvation. We must be fearful not of God, but falling short of showing God’s love in us to others. In doing that, we are growing in our salvation, as well as being examples. While our salvation comes from God freely, we must allow it to show in us, and that takes work on our part.
Please continue to be in prayer for the sick in our community and to those that have lost loved ones. God knows their names and needs. Until next week, take care and be joyful!
Organizations in the area, as well as churches, I need your events! If your family has some news or an event to share, please contact me. I would prefer text at 334-414-7147 or emails to wardgrand6@gmail.com, but phone calls will be fine, too. If you don’t get me when you call, be sure to leave a message.