Worshipping God Despite the Circumstances
Sister Janelle Manalili (Okarben, Germany): Right now we’re about to talk about what’s important to me, and that’s the worship services. And they are very important to me because that’s where I find the strength to carry on, that’s where I am at peace, in the house of worship. Attending the worship service is where I feel whole and safe.
Brother Marvin Sabas (Washington, USA): Worship service is very important to me because it allows me to communicate with our Almighty God, and allows me to have a mental reset if I’m having a tough week or day. And it gives me reassurance that everything will be okay.
Sister Sophia Trigonis (California, USA): And of course, God’s words are so relevant and so important at this time for all of us, who are members in the Church Of Christ.
Sister Kristine Jaye Angeles (New York, USA): It’s there where I find comfort and I’m able to pray and talk to our Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sister Lara Jaye Evangelista (Florida, USA): I love performing my duties. If there were some of the hardest days of my life, then in the worship service I have the chance to call on God and ask Him for help and for healing.
Every single worship service, I always hear answers to the questions that I couldn’t figure out on my own.
Brother Noel Dela Rosa (Florida, USA): My spiritual well-being is strengthened every time I go to worship service. I need it to help me to stay focused on my salvation.
Sister Eya Aleja (Marseille, France): For me, the worship service is very, very important. It is where we receive our strength from our Father. It’s where we are able to ask God for our needs and the needs of our family.
Sister Kim Sarmiento Rome, Italy: I live to serve Him. I live to worship Him. And I can’t live without the worship service
[On-screen text]
Stand Up Straight & Look Up
[Video starts: News Clips]
[Source: NET25, Eagle News International]
China on Monday reported a mysterious SARS-like virus.
[Source: NET25, Eagle News]
South Korea has now confirmed its first case of the SARS-like virus.
[Source: NET25, ASEAN IN FOCUS]
COVID-19 would be the new official name.
[Source: YouTube, BBC News]
Outside of China, there are more than 150 confirmed cases, and we now have a fatality in the Philippines, too.
[Source: YouTube, CNN]
Officials in Italy now say that five people have died from the virus.
[Source: YouTube, Global News]
Coronavirus has now reached the UK.
[Source: YouTube, CNN]
A SARS-like virus has now reached the United States.
[Source: YouTube, Global News]
To keep new cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States.
[Source, YouTube, 7News Australia]
European countries are closing their borders, with French President Macron declaring his nation is at war against the COVID-19 virus.
[Video ends]
[Video starts]
Sister Eya Alejo (Marseille, France): The good thing is that our house is located here next to a park within our residential area. So, we don’t have to leave the residential area. It’s less dangerous.
There are also reminders posted here that inform us how to be safe.
When I arrive home, I go straight to the bathroom to wash my hands.
You should use soap and wash your hands for a duration of 20 seconds.
[Video ends]
Sister Eya Alejo (Marseille, France): When I first heard about the virus, it was at the end of February. There were already plenty of cases in China – thousands and thousands of cases with many fatalities. Then the virus reached France, and the first cases here began to appear. People became very scared because the virus had spread.
[Video starts]
[Source: YouTube, Sky News]
The European Union took the dramatic step this week of agreeing to temporarily close its borders to all non-essential travel from other countries.
[Source: YouTube, CNA]
Thailand has moved to close its borders to slow the spread of COVID-19.
[Source: YouTube, Sky News]
Concern is growing in Germany after a warning: If people don’t heed social distancing measures, 10 million people could be infected with coronavirus within months.
[Source: YouTube, CNN]
Some 10 towns, at the very least, are under this quarantine, with 50,000 people here in northern Italy essentially trapped inside their towns.
[Source: YouTube, ABC News]
Now, here in New York City, a state of emergency declared as well.
[Video ends]
Sister Kristine Jaye Angeles (New York, USA): The United States is now the epicenter of the pandemic with the most cases. As a nurse, I tried to educate myself on this new pandemic, and it’s unlike all the other scares. But knowing that God is with me, keeps me from allowing those fears to paralyze me.
Brother Noel Dela Rosa (Florida, USA): When I heard about the quarantine or the restrictions that are being implemented in my county, the first thing that went to mind is, “How am I going to go to worship service?”
Sister Ailah Parinas (Rangsit, Thailand): I knew at some point that the government would ban public gatherings to decrease the spread of the virus in Thailand. And so, I thought about, “How would I be able to perform my worship services? How would I be able to perform my duty as a choir member?”
Sister Sophia Trigonis (California, USA): This really is giving us the mindset of, “I can’t wait to be there in the chapel once again.” And it kind of makes you realize how much you truly love your duties because it’s part of who you are.
Sister Eya Alejo (Marseille, France): Being a choir member, I miss performing as a choir member in the house of worship. However, for me, whether there is a virus or not, I’ll continue to worship and serve our Lord God.
[On screen text]
On March 29, 2020, the Executive Minister of the Church Of Christ officiated a worship service, which was live-streamed to various households around the world.
Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, Executive Minister Of The Church Of Christ:
Church Of Christ members now should keep having faith no matter what they experience. We can’t avoid these troubles that are happening. Christ has forewarned about them. They’ll really happen before the end comes. But the chosen ones who are worthy of salvation should not give up. The chosen ones should stand straight. They should not give up their faith to be sure of salvation. We should not lose faith in God. We should always hold on to what He can do for us. That’s why, brethren, what do we teach you that you should do in these times? Since there is a lockdown and social distancing is required, we can’t go to the house of worship.
But we don’t stop worshipping God. We continue our worship services to God. We follow what the government requires but we also follow what God’s law requires. Why? That’s what is required from us: that we should not give up our faith. We should uphold our faith. Our faith should remain unchanged.
Sister Kristine Jaye Angeles (New York, USA): The Church Administration was very proactive from the beginning and very quick to adapt to the situation.
Brother Sherwin Valdez (Nevada, USA): We are blessed that they have approved us to still conduct worship service, even at remote locations.
Sister Lara Jae Evangelista (Florida, USA): The household worship services that are being conducted are just as important as the live ones conducted in the chapel. We’re all still worshipping. And through the lessons we’ve learned in our household worship services, I’ve been reminded that everything will be okay.
Brother Iz Bautista (Kitakyushu, Japan): Yesterday, when Brother Eduardo V. Manalo officiated our worship service through live streaming, we really felt his love and concern for the members of the Church Of Christ.
Sister Sophia Trigonis (California, Usa): These worship services, despite the fact that the world is in crisis, they make me feel so calm within my heart and within myself.
Because of how good God has been to me, and because of how much He loves me, is why I never want to cease worshipping.
[Video begins]
[Live Streaming Worship Service 3/29/2020]
Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, Executive Minister Of The Church Of Christ: God tells us, “Look to Me.” Why? To be saved. To whom was God speaking? To those from the ends of the earth. Who are from the ends of the earth? We, Church Of Christ members today. Church Of Christ members now are required to not give up their faith and to always look up to God. Why? Because God said, “I am God, and there is no other.” There’s no one else we can rely on but God alone, no matter what we face. Nothing is impossible with God. God can easily help us at all times in our lives.
[Video ends]
SISTER KIM SARMIENTO (ROME, ITALY): Additional lockdown restrictions were mandated to non-essential shops; even businesses all over the country. This virus has had a big impact on people’s salaries. There are many workers here in Italy, even my parents, that are trying their best to have at least food in their houses for themselves and their families.
Brother Noel Dela Rosa (Florida, USA): With me not being able to go to work, the struggles are starting to play in my mind. “What am I going to do? What am I going to do for income – my livelihood is being affected.”
Sister Maila Roson (Florida, USA): The effect is really vast in the sense that you don’t have the freedom to go out anymore. You have to stay home, you cannot visit your friends, you cannot mingle with people. And even at work, there are people that are being laid off, there are people that are being advised to stay home. So, it really affects the community, the people, and the economy of the city.
Empty streets in:
- Quezon City, Philippines
- New York, USA
- California, USA
Sister Sophia Trigonis (California, USA): This is a playground that, usually, a lot of kids play at, but for the time being, you can notice that they have [caution] tape all across the park. They’re advising, even the kids, not to be playing on the playground at the moment.
Sister Sophia Trigonis (California, USA): When it seemed like there were stricter and stricter rules regarding what the coronavirus is, having to be home and going out for only essentials things – that was when my reaction changed. Because I was like, “Woah. This is something really serious and really harmful to a lot of people.”
[Video starts]
[Source: Eagle News International]
The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 50,000 people in Europe, mostly in Italy, and Spain, France, and Britain.
[Source: YouTube, BBC]
Almost 9,000 people in the UK have now lost their lives to coronavirus in the past five weeks.
[Source: YouTube, CBS Evening News]
Coronavirus cases nationwide have passed 400,000, with more than 14,000 deaths.
[Source: YouTube, CBS This Morning]
Italy has overtaken China to have the world’s highest reported death toll from the coronavirus. More than 3,500 patients have died in Italy and more than 41,000 are infected.
[Video ends]
Sister Teresa Magpayo Castro (California, USA): And now that we see people getting sick around us, and people who are not recovering from this illness, people who are dying, we realize even more that we need our Almighty God.
So, in addition to our usual prayers that we have as a family, we’ve decided to add an extra vow prayer just for this, for the protection of our family.
Brother Sherwin Valdez (Nevada, USA): To me, this is nothing new – that we have not already heard as a Church member. We have heard many, many, many worship services and even admonitions from the Church Administration, that the time [of our salvation] is near. Just at the beginning of this year, we were admonished about things to happen that have already been foretold in the Bible. Such as disasters happening, wars between nations, earthquakes happening all at the same time, volcanoes were erupting at the same time. So, for my family and I, we are ready to adapt to the changes, and we are also ready because we are members of the Church.
Sister Sophia Trigonis (California, USA): I think now that we’ve had the worship services in the households, I think they have been extremely important for us, and extremely important for my family, to be able to remember that the guidance you need is still there. God is still going to give His blessings to you no matter what may be happening in this world. I think they have been extremely important just because they keep you positive, and they also make you reflect on yourself, and make you realize, “When I’m here in the worship service, this is where I’m supposed to be, this is what I’m supposed to be doing.” It’s been extremely important because it keeps your faith strong, and it also makes you reflect and realize, “Yes, I’m so happy to be a member of the Church Of Christ.”
[Video begins]
[Live Streaming Worship Service 3/29/2020]
Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, Executive Minister Of The Church Of Christ: That’s why a Church Of Christ member should not weaken, be depressed, lose hope, surrender, or give up. That’s because God will not leave us when we hold on to our divine election. We will always have God with us. We might go through intense things in life. As God didn’t abandon but saved us in the past, that’s also what He will do now. That’s what all of us are guaranteed since these are God’s promises written in the Holy Scriptures.
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© Executive News 2020
