The last three months have been marked with abject panic and terror about a new disease, the Covid 19 variety of corona virus. We live in Japan, right? Where the entire nation pretty much consists of raging hypochondriacs. Corona virus has caused serious, and, admittedly, rather amusing antics here. Like the three week long toilet paper panic. And the $300 black market face masks. Oh, and don't forget, the emergency train brake being pulled for a passenger sneezing. Of course I feel very sorry and sad about the people who have the disease, and the families of those poor patients who have passed away. And I feel sad and angry for the imprisoned passengers of the cruise ship in Yokohama who were basically fed to the disease. I don't want to dismiss the real and terrible problems this disease has caused and is causing. But I have not been personally worried about my family or myself getting corona virus.
Three weeks ago, our church was shortened to a one hour Sacrament meeting. I thought this was fantastic! I volunteer as the person in charge of the little kids at our church, so this let me right off the hook. Pretty much. Then during the next week, it was announced that in our entire country all churches would close. We are all to have church at home, and luckily we have a man at home who holds the Priesthood authority to bless and pass us the Sacrament. I thought I would write about what we have been doing, since now the Church has announced that the ENTIRE church will do home church. This can seem intimidating, but the last two weeks have really been great experiences for us. The girls and I get dressed in "comfy" church clothes (still dresses or skirts, but stretchy ones we don't mind being in all day). Before we start, we put a pretty white table cloth on our cedar chest, which divides our living and dining rooms. B sets up the sacrament on that, covered with white handkerchiefs. I found a little tray at Daiso, the world's greatest dollar store, to pass the little cups of water. It's not pretty, but it works well, and holds eight of the little cups I also found at the hundred yen shops. I got five non-disposable ones, and plastic in case we have company. Sorry, the pictures were taken in a hurry to show a friend, and aren't pretty. The glass little tray that the cups are on in the photo is what we use for the bread.
We start with an opening hymn; we just sing acapella because we have our meeting in the living room, and the piano is in our school room. Then we sing a Sacrament hymn (no announcements...) and B passes us the Sacrament. He kneels behind the cedar chest to say the prayers. Then we sit still for about five minutes to think and pray. He says he did this when having church on the ship, since with only a few people, the passing of the Sacrament is so quick there isn't time for pondering. The first week we did home church was Fast Meeting, so all five of us took turns bearing our testimonies. It was amazing. Last week I asked one of the little girls who came with her mom (their dad is out to sea) to give a talk, and she told a great story from a Book of Mormon story book. Then I had asked Miss A to give a little talk, and she did about the fourth article of faith. Then we cast a conference talk up on to the tv from you tube and watched it.
After this, we went to the school room and everyone gathered around the piano. I let everyone pick their favorite Primary song, and we sang. The week before we stayed in the living room and sang along to you tube videos for the songs we are due to learn according to the primary schedule. There are tons that have the lyrics on the screen. Although most of them use the old blue cd tracks for the songs, and I strongly dislike those. Too slow, annoying, and, to quote Olaf, pretty pitchy. Not that we're the Tab Choir by any means. But anyway. After singing time, we recited the young women theme with Miss A, then I taught a lesson from the Primary Come Follow Me book. I had a coloring sheet to go along with the lesson, and that's it. Last week it all took just shy of two hours I think, but we weren't rushing. The week before we were done in an hour, and we split it up more, with free time in between stuff. Also that first week, the sister missionaries, who are confined to their apartment, taught us a lesson by Messenger. That was nice.
Other general Sunday stuff we've been doing in the afternoon that I like is building jigsaw puzzles while listening to old John Bytheway talks. The girls like that, and think he's hilarious. I like to take a Sunday stroll, but it seems the lovely Japanese spring is slow to come this year...
In short, I have enjoyed the last few weeks of church! It does freak me out that our church has done this. Is corona virus worse than I think? Is this practice for later? So, closer to the Second Coming, when things are truly horrible and it's not possible to meet in congregations, we can all be "Oh, no problem, we know how to do home church!" Is this another sheep and goat thing? Where the sheep are diligent and go to Heavenly Father's right hand, and the goats don't ever get around to it? It would be very easy to not make an effort to "do" church, when it's just on us. But I want to be a sheep! (Matthew 25, verse: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
I also think it's very interesting that we, as a church, have been getting ready for this. I read this on a facebook home school group:
Nov. 28, 2018: President Nelson - "There's much more to come... Wait until next year, and then the next year. Eat your vitamin pills. Get your rest."
Dec. 31, 2019: China reports an outbreak of pneumonia... aka Coronovirus... and the magnitude of this outbreak has yet to be determined.
Coincidence? "There are no coincidences." - President Thomas S. Monson
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October 6, 2019: President Nelson - "General conference next April will be different from any previous conference. In the next six months, I hope that every member and every family will prepare for a unique conference that will commemorate the very foundations of the restored gospel."
March 11, 2020: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announces that the public will not gather for our semi-annual general conference in April due to the risks of the COVID-19. It will be broadcast via technology only.
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April 4, 2018: President Nelson - "In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."
October 6, 2018: The Church announces the new home-centered church-supported Come Follow Me program to be implemented beginning January 2019.
October 7, 2018: President Nelson - "The new home-centered, Church-supported integrated curriculum has the potential to unleash the power of families, as each family follows through conscientiously and carefully to transform their home into a sanctuary of faith. I promise that as you diligently work to remodel your home into a center of gospel learning, over time your Sabbath days will truly be a delight. Your children will be excited to learn and to live the Savior’s teachings, and the influence of the adversary in your life and in your home will decrease. Changes in your family will be dramatic and sustaining."
March 12, 2020: Church Services worldwide are suspended. As members of the church, we have been training for a home-centered church worship for over a year.
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October 6, 2019: President Nelson - "Meanwhile, please be assured that revelation continues in the Church and will continue under the Lord’s direction until 'the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.'"
Amos 3:7: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the Prophets."
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We are so blessed to have the Prophet leading and guiding us in these last days. I know he is led by our loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
"And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Mark 4:9
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