Soon churches in America will regather for public worship.
We can all be thankful that we have done our best to be good citizens who cooperated with those in authority to “flatten the curve” and not overwhelm our healthcare professionals. We can be very proud to have been a part of that.
But now we have the monumental task of doing things that go against our nature and all that we have learned. Not only do we have to refrain from a “holy kiss,” we also have to refrain from what we have taught our sons about a firm handshake.
Churches and schools have been greatly affected and will require creative ways to fulfill their mission. Thankfully, I can let other professionals deal with how to open schools safely and to do a high quality job of education. Think with me about the church.
What will we need to do this?
I can’t say it more simply. We will need God.
More than anything, we will need to be completely open to God to see how He will lead. I almost want to write “reimagine,” but we don’t have to reimagine church. God will lead His people. We must be open to God’s Spirit as He shows us how to regather and how to effectively serve our communities.
We must adapt, and we must be adaptable. Things around us have changed, and we must change. Many things in church life were going to be different in the next ten years. Now, all of those changes have been forced upon us in a matter of seven weeks.
We can’t focus on the way things were done (such as passing offering plates). We must focus on doing right and Godly things in new ways. The churches that focus on the old processes will miss God’s new thing.
We must focus on the God who has always been. The God who has been “O God, our help in ages past” will be the God who is “Our hope for years to come.” He will be our “very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
The Lord is the great “Keeper.”
“The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. He will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore” (Psalm 121:7-8).
9 Responses
Whatever we do in church will be difficult and new. However we have a Savior that will help us. We are praying for the church staff as they implement a plan, and we will follow it. God is in control.
Pastor Bailey, we appreciate your leadership. Your comment during this weekend’s service about being “citizens if this state” shows the respect for our elected officials as the Bible tells us to show. Your vision and adaptability show us your leadership will bring FBC into the new future. We are blessed that you are listening to God, and that He is giving you wisdom to lead us forward into a new world.
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Thank you, Cynthia. We love having you with us each week from Florida!
Loved your blog today Waylon “ O God,our help in ages past“ will be the God who is “Our hope for years to come.” Thank you for all you have done to help lead us through this difficult time!
Thank you very much for your leadership during this time and keeping us close to the Lord! The online services have been a blessing to all. And, yes returning to our “normal” church services will not be possible for quite some time…..there will need to be changes and the Lord will lead us in the proper direction for the church. When these decisions are made, please consider continuing the online service broadcasts. There are going to be those who will return immediately when the church doors are reopened. However, there are going to be many who are at high risk that will not want to return for quite some time and will want to continue to attend church via the online services.
Yes, Mark. I agree. We have had our online services for several years. That allowed us to move quickly in this new situation. We will continue to provide a high quality experience online as well as in person.
EVeryone’s situation is different.
WE have learned better how to connect with people without seeing them face to face.
So we will just keep on doing what we have been doing all along.
yes i will have to admit things have changed and we will make several more changes .I do look forward to meeting in God’s house with God’s people praising God and thanking him for brings us through and leading us forward. As we make needed changes in life and worship,lets allow God to control and lead us.