![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Over the last while, churches have been taking up the cry for exemption from social-distancing restrictions, calling for defiance of government in the name of "keeping churches open". The impression I'm getting is that these people believe the "in person" part of fellowship to be more important than the fellowship itself. This is leading to anger, self-righteousness, disregard of common sense, more anger, and more self-righteousness. Donald Trump, ever in the Machiavellian search for votes, has jumped on this band wagon and fueled all of the above, helping absolutely no one, in my opinion. It's not that there's anything wrong with wanting physical church services back, it's not that we shouldn't miss them or look forward to their return, but when we make it the focal point of our worship and regard all other worship as inferior or second-rate, turning down in anger the new opportunities afforded us, that's where the problem lies.
The worst part of this is not the anger or the self-righteousness, though, it's typical human behavior, a relic from childhood that most of us never grow out of: when we can't have the whole pie, we grumpily focus completely on what we don't have and fail to take advantage of what we do have. No, what saddens me the most in all this is how Christians are so obsessed with wanting to meet in person, they're totally overlooking the opportunity God has placed in front of us.
What are the three most important duties of the church and its members? As I've stated previously, I believe there are three: 1) we are to love God; 2) we are to love each other; 3) we are to fulfill the great commission. A lot of my rationale for this is in the blog entry referenced above. Unfortunately, many Evangelical Christians want Christianity to exist in a vacuum, so they believe Trump when he claims he has done more for Evangelicals than any other president, when I believe he has done more to hurt Evangelicals than any other president.
First of all, churches aren't shut down. We are still very free to worship. No one is telling us we can't do this. But, sadly, many church leaders are equating physically congregating with being allowed to worship. Churches can and should still be very open to worship, just in somewhat different ways. Instead of getting mad and throwing tantrums over what we can't do, why don't we concentrate on what the current situation has created for us, incredible opportunities to fulfill all three of these important duties of the church and its people.
1. Loving God: Why can't we love God over the phone, via video conferencing, etc.? Maybe it's not as convenient as meeting in person, but our love for God has never been something designed for our convenience. Pioneers unable to get out of their houses and attend a church service all winter were still able to love God, and they had no way of virtually meeting.
2. Loving Each Other: And here's where far too many Christians don't get it. Loving each other means more than loving the person in our little group, it means loving everyone, whether we agree with them or not, whether we like them or not. Defying measures to keep people safe is not an expression of love for others. It is not an expression of love for God, as He gave us common sense and expects us to use it. By pushing others away, we express not love, but disregard and contempt for others.
3. The Great Commission: Why are we not excited about our services being available online for everyone to hear? Why aren't we on the phone, e-mailing, whatever, talking to our non-Christian friends who don't want to set foot in a church but who might be willing to watch and listen from the comfort and safety of their homes? Why aren't we excited for shut-ins who are now able to participate in these services? Why are we not proclaiming excitedly, Come as you are, come wherever you are! Why do we insist on seeing this as exclusion, rather than realizing it as the unprecedented chance for inclusion that it is. No longer is worship being confined to a church building, or to places frequented by those who already believe. Now, suddenly, we can bring the best news ever, the most wonderful promises ever, and the greatest gift ever given, to the world around us. A huge step in witnessing is here for the taking, if we'll just see it for what it is. What an opportunity! And we're wasting this opportunity by demanding in-person worship and, in some cases, throwing tantrums! How do you think God sees that? Read the parable of the guy who buried what he'd been given instead of putting it to use. You think you're being saintly for jumping up and down demanding in-person fellowship, making fools of yourselves in the eyes of the world we've been sent to minister to, when you could be directing all that energy to using the opportunities God has given you to ministering to the world. Why are you angry? Why aren't you excited? Make this whole thing less about ourselves and more about the God we serve and the mission He has sent us on. Stop focusing on our wishes and start focusing on ways we can work together to fulfill the church's three big duties like we never could before. Remember, before the end times, the Gospel must be available to all nations. God has given us a huge and incredible chance to help make that happen, and getting angry and militant and risking lives isn't the way to do it. Christians, please, wake up and start doing what God has placed us here to do! God has opened some exciting doors for us, let's walk through! SAnd on that wonderful day when in-person worship is back, maybe we'll be stronger than ever and more eager, willing, and able to concentrate on the big three purposes of the church.
The worst part of this is not the anger or the self-righteousness, though, it's typical human behavior, a relic from childhood that most of us never grow out of: when we can't have the whole pie, we grumpily focus completely on what we don't have and fail to take advantage of what we do have. No, what saddens me the most in all this is how Christians are so obsessed with wanting to meet in person, they're totally overlooking the opportunity God has placed in front of us.
What are the three most important duties of the church and its members? As I've stated previously, I believe there are three: 1) we are to love God; 2) we are to love each other; 3) we are to fulfill the great commission. A lot of my rationale for this is in the blog entry referenced above. Unfortunately, many Evangelical Christians want Christianity to exist in a vacuum, so they believe Trump when he claims he has done more for Evangelicals than any other president, when I believe he has done more to hurt Evangelicals than any other president.
First of all, churches aren't shut down. We are still very free to worship. No one is telling us we can't do this. But, sadly, many church leaders are equating physically congregating with being allowed to worship. Churches can and should still be very open to worship, just in somewhat different ways. Instead of getting mad and throwing tantrums over what we can't do, why don't we concentrate on what the current situation has created for us, incredible opportunities to fulfill all three of these important duties of the church and its people.
1. Loving God: Why can't we love God over the phone, via video conferencing, etc.? Maybe it's not as convenient as meeting in person, but our love for God has never been something designed for our convenience. Pioneers unable to get out of their houses and attend a church service all winter were still able to love God, and they had no way of virtually meeting.
2. Loving Each Other: And here's where far too many Christians don't get it. Loving each other means more than loving the person in our little group, it means loving everyone, whether we agree with them or not, whether we like them or not. Defying measures to keep people safe is not an expression of love for others. It is not an expression of love for God, as He gave us common sense and expects us to use it. By pushing others away, we express not love, but disregard and contempt for others.
3. The Great Commission: Why are we not excited about our services being available online for everyone to hear? Why aren't we on the phone, e-mailing, whatever, talking to our non-Christian friends who don't want to set foot in a church but who might be willing to watch and listen from the comfort and safety of their homes? Why aren't we excited for shut-ins who are now able to participate in these services? Why are we not proclaiming excitedly, Come as you are, come wherever you are! Why do we insist on seeing this as exclusion, rather than realizing it as the unprecedented chance for inclusion that it is. No longer is worship being confined to a church building, or to places frequented by those who already believe. Now, suddenly, we can bring the best news ever, the most wonderful promises ever, and the greatest gift ever given, to the world around us. A huge step in witnessing is here for the taking, if we'll just see it for what it is. What an opportunity! And we're wasting this opportunity by demanding in-person worship and, in some cases, throwing tantrums! How do you think God sees that? Read the parable of the guy who buried what he'd been given instead of putting it to use. You think you're being saintly for jumping up and down demanding in-person fellowship, making fools of yourselves in the eyes of the world we've been sent to minister to, when you could be directing all that energy to using the opportunities God has given you to ministering to the world. Why are you angry? Why aren't you excited? Make this whole thing less about ourselves and more about the God we serve and the mission He has sent us on. Stop focusing on our wishes and start focusing on ways we can work together to fulfill the church's three big duties like we never could before. Remember, before the end times, the Gospel must be available to all nations. God has given us a huge and incredible chance to help make that happen, and getting angry and militant and risking lives isn't the way to do it. Christians, please, wake up and start doing what God has placed us here to do! God has opened some exciting doors for us, let's walk through! SAnd on that wonderful day when in-person worship is back, maybe we'll be stronger than ever and more eager, willing, and able to concentrate on the big three purposes of the church.
