How to be the church when church is cancelled?

A recurring thought in both my prep and reading for last Sunday’s service centered upon this urgent question given our current status with Coronavirus in this nation and beyond: “How are we to be the church when church is cancelled?” We dug into this last Sunday, but believe a summary review might be an encouragement as we continually pray about this situation in our country and community.

How to be the church when church is cancelled:

C—Care for those around us, especially the most vulnerable and isolated. How can we reach out to them to assist?

O—Our need for prayer! It there was ever a time appropriate for prayer, this is it! Let us be in urgent prayer for our medical community, our elected officials, our church leaders, all those on the front lines of this virus, and for the already infected and most vulnerable.

R—Respect how others respond to the crisis as well as how they process “crisis”, fear, and change in their lives; don’t jump to judgment or condemnation, and do not hold your view and response as the only valid or legitimate view and response.

O—Opportunity to witness. Might we recognize the incredible opportunity before us to share why we are not panicked and fearing, and Whom is the source of our strength.

N—Never quit preaching the Gospel; and never quit hearing the Gospel for the sake of your own soul! Also, never quit washing your hands, and never quit washing your heart with the Word of God!

A—Always remember who is in Charge. Amidst our sense of loss of control let us remember the One who is in control— “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;” (Psalm 46:1–2)

We are still the church even if we did not meet at church on Sunday!

Pastor Kirk Flaa
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