During the early days of the pandemic I wrote a book on the Lord’s Prayer titled, “King Come! The Church’s Prayer in a Pandemic.” Here’s the introduction:

The Lord’s Prayer, in the King James Version, contains only sixty-six words. It can be repeated in less than a minute. In these uncertain days, I’ve repeatedly voiced the prayer. Some days I voice it without realizing I’m doing so. When these pandemic days pass, I pray this habit never ceases. Sometimes I can’t put the thoughts swirling around in my head into intelligible sentences. Sometimes it is impossible to put the emotions raging in my heart into a prayer. That’s when I turn to the familiar words of our Savior. We will study the prayer for the next 12 chapters, moving phrase by phrase, and meditating upon the implications. Yet, we will not study the prayer as a textbook or ancient religious text. We will study it as a prayer provided to us by our Savior. We will study it with devotion.

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I learned of a 32-year-old French restaurant worker who trained to run the Barcelona marathon on March 15, 2020, and the Paris marathon on April 5, 2020. Yet, both races were canceled due to the threat of the pandemic. Unwilling to allow his time and effort to go to waste, this young man ran 26.2 miles by lapping his balcony while in self- isolation. For 6 hours and 48 minutes he circled his balcony of a mere 22 feet. Amidst the cheers of his onlooking neighbors, this young man was faithful. When the pandemic is over, may we be found faithful.

From the pastor’s study,

Jeff Gravens

First Baptist Church

Sulphur Springs, Texas