I hope your Easter Celebration went well.
It was one memorable experience for millions of believers around the world as we celebrated this most critical day in Christianity while living in the shadow of COVID-19.
Over the weekend, I chose to reflect on the oldest Creed in the Church. The early church leaders developed The Apostle’s Creed, otherwise known as the Nicene Creed. It was a brief and basic statement that covered the import truths of the Lord Jesus and could be easily taught and recited, as most of the population were illiterate.
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day, he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.
From a hut in African to the crowded high rises in Dubai, believers spend a part of the day reflecting on these truths. People from around the globe reflected on the fact that Jesus suffered, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day, he rose again from the dead.
How did you celebrate yours?
We watched several services today from Franklin Graham and Michael W. Smith in Central Park in front of the Samaritan’s Purse Field Hospital to viewing an Anglican friend, provide his homily, and enjoying my Church’s live stream.
At lunch, our son, daughter in law, grandson, and my daughter in law’s mom came over for lunch. We did elbow bumps, washed our hands, and gave thanks. My daughter-in-law’s family is from Armenia, and one of the dishes that she brought today was a rice dish with golden raisins. I asked her about the tradition, and she said that the rice represents the people of this world and that the golden raisins represent the sweet presence of Jesus in our lives, even in troubling times.
Wow, what a sermon in a simple dish.
No doubt this, Easter will be one that we will remember for the rest of our lives on this earth.
We have been in a time of loss and death over the past several weeks. Not just those individuals and families who have been directly impacted by COVID-19, but our society has been forced to hit a life-changing pause button. Our movements are limited, many businesses closed, and life as we have known it has come to an abrupt halt.
So, what’s next?
Well, many of you know that I am an optimist.
I do not believe that we will pick up where we left off. I don’t think that we will ever be able to go back to the way things were. Hopefully, during this externally forced pause, you and I have had a chance to recalibrate and to do some soul searching.
So what will be different?
Our ways of socializing will have to jump through some hoops as we begin to reintegrate in our places of work, worship, and gatherings.
Some businesses and churches will adapt and adjust to a new reality. Some will close up shop.
Some of the most exciting things we will see as the country reopens for business are that we will see young and old entrepreneurs look for opportunities. I also believe that successful businesses will make the adjustments and expand their opportunities to serve others. Anyone who has caught any news in the past several weeks have heard stories of business leaders and entrepreneurs finding ways to adapt and create systems to deal with the crisis at hand.
In my work as a counselor/coach, and trainer, I am embracing new ways of providing those services with Face Time, Duo, Zoom, and direct telephone services. Besides, I am launching two online learning programs through Thinkific. The two working titles are Tactical Stress Management and How to Effectively Minister in Difficult Times.
I am genuinely excited about what lies ahead.
How about you?
Entrepreneurial friends, this new reality will either provide you with an opportunity to grow or fail. The decision will be yours.
Did you know that one of the biggest dream killers is fear? A couple of years ago, I wrote The No Fear Entrepreneur, which is based on a survey I did with 1500 primarily faith-based entrepreneurs. The book helps the reader identify those fears and provides the reader with healthy, faith-friendly ways to identify, manage, and overcome those fears that might be holding them back.
I want to hear from you. Whether you are a home-based business operation, a manager at a government agency, or a manager in corporate America, I’d like to know your plan to reboot your business.
I look forward to hearing from you as we launch into this new adventure of restarting commerce.
While we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, also lets hopefully look forward to what lies ahead.
Let’s also come through this unusual cycle of loss to a resurrected economy and fresh ways for doing business and ministry.
I am excited, are you?
Let me hear from you.
Blessings,
John Thurman
PVB356
