As the hymn says, “the fight is fierce, the warfare long” (LSB 677), but the Church presses on!

Now that the state of Mississippi has declared a “shelter in place” order, the war we wage will be perhaps more intimate than before: in our homes, in our loneliness, in our uncertainty as we traverse this time of quarantine.

But though the night is long, Satan shall not prevail! For even in our diaspora, Christ gathers us into Himself as His Body; you do not fight alone, but with the whole Church of God. Fix your eyes on Jesus, dear Christians, for He has won the victory.

So, in your isolation, do not let Satan steal from you the solace of meditating upon the Word, and do not forfeit the peace of the liturgy. Continue to meet together with us in prayer, despite the irregularity of these times. Soon and very soon, we will be reunited, and we will rejoice with much singing!

Press on, dear Saints of Christ Lutheran, for “lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day” (LSB 677).