Pandemic Reading Plans
Today my younger daughter turns 17. She’s my St. Patrick’s Day baby. She’s not feeling very lucky though. Complying with social distance guidelines means being isolated from friends. Going out to dinner and a movie will have to wait for another time.
My older daughter is in her senior year of high school. She realizes that there is a strong likelihood that her prom will be canceled. Even her biggest milestone to date, having a graduation ceremony, is in jeopardy.
This next few weeks (months?) will be a challenge, to be sure! Yet I firmly believe that nothing about the COVID-19 pandemic took God by surprise. He will undoubtedly use it for His glory, and even for our good.
Yesterday after work, my husband and I went out for a walk. It was around 5:15 on a Monday afternoon. We passed a park that was full of families. Some were playing soccer, others were playing baseball or football. Others played tennis or basketball. Grandparents were pushing kids in swings. Granted, I’m not usually out at the park on a Monday afternoon, but I’m willing to guess that what I saw yesterday was an unusual occurrence.
Families are being “forced” to reconnect. You can put in only so much screen time before you start to feel a little crazy. Board games are coming out of the closets. Conversations are happening around the dinner table. Exercise and fresh air are being reintroduced to those who have found themselves growing restless from sitting on the couch.
For those of us who have been praying for loved ones to come to know the goodness of God, there is now an extraordinary opportunity to share words of hope and encouragement. Much of the regular busyness of life has been stilled, and people have the time to read, listen to, and watch such messages and then respond to them.
Whether you are looking for opportunities to connect spiritually with your nuclear family or with someone far away, I want to share with you some tools and techniques that might come in very handy. Consider how one of the approaches below might be put to use in your home or through remote connection.
For In-Person Groups
First: Determine where you will listen. Normally, you would have a variety of options. But for the sake of honoring social distancing guidelines, please limit face-to-face meetings to your home with your family.
Second: Determine how you will listen. Here are a few options:
1. Download the Bible.is app. You can use a premade plan (such as Gospels in 40 Days, or Psalm a Day). You can also simply select a book of the Bible that you want to listen to.
2. Access the audio Bible through the Web at live.Bible.is. This platform gives you access to the text and audio for the entire Bible, and video for the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Third: Determine the duration of the listening group. You can always elect to continue after the conclusion of self-quarantine, but consider starting with a fixed date in mind, especially if you’re trying to urge teens or other less enthusiastic participants. Will you gather once a day for 2 weeks? Perhaps every other day for 3 weeks?
Fourth: Determine how long you want to listen. Is 10 minutes per day reasonable? Does your family have the capacity to sit and focus for longer periods of time?
For Virtual Groups
Virtual groups allow you to meet regardless of location. This feature has its benefits, especially for those wanting to develop together spiritually when they’re unable to be together physically. Extra attention is needed in the formation of virtual groups, to ensure that any potential barriers can be overcome.
Two different models have been piloted, and based on our experience, an overview of how they work is shown below.
Live Online: This virtual group signs in to a digital platform. There are many options, including Zoom, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The group host will play the portion of Scripture, and live discussion can take place.
Anytime Online: This option is not dependent on the availability of everyone at the same time. Individual participants can listen to the assigned portion of Scripture at their convenience. Questions can be discussed through messaging platforms. WhatsApp or Facebook Groups have been used successfully for this method. There is a wide variety of other online forums that you can investigate here.
So, assuming that you stay healthy and have access to enough groceries and toilet paper, let’s look at this highly bizarre season as an opportunity for joyful engagement in personal and family growth―spiritual growth. May you walk in peace and hope, so much that your excess spills over! I close, once again, with my favorite Bible passage: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13, ESV).