"Distance makes the heart grow fonder". I've both read it and heard it said numerous times over the years. But little did I know that it would become a reality in the way that it has under our current circumstances with the need for social distancing due to virus concerns.
I've heard of numerous churches railing against the restrictions placed on large gatherings that affect their ability to once again open the doors. But as I sit back and consider the desire to once again come together as we did prior to the plague of virus that's found its way around the world, I find myself wrestling two separate views.
I can certainly understand and am possessed of a desire myself to once again come together as Christ's family - one certainly stronger and more destined to endure than one simply of flesh. After all, as brothers and sisters in Christ we're more permanently bound to spend eternity together and share one eternal Father in His presence. I miss being together as a local body in the Lord's presence as much as any.
However, the most at risk of falling seriously ill and potentially dying from contracting the virus among the populations of the world are the elderly. And I don't think that it would be a misstatement to point out that the elderly among our brothers and sisters, and the majority of the elders and pastors of "The Church" - those appointed due to the wealth of their experienced wisdom to lead the body of Christ, are among that very faction of the population. The rush to re-congregate for whatever reason, could put them all at risk as they feel obligated out of a sense of duty to rejoin a convening local portion of the body of Christ.
Not only would the older population of the convening body be at potential risk if they feel drawn to attend, but the body itself could find itself at risk if they don't. I would not take anything away from the Lord's ability to lead through youth. I know better, but those anointed to lead and appointed due to the value of their experience and wisdom through the local body were raised to those positions for a reason and a body meeting without them could find itself in trouble. Meeting too soon either way has its risks. Waiting on the Lord for His guidance could only lead us to the right answers and the risks and circumstances for different portions of the body may vary widely making our focus on that guidance critically important when considering when to open the building doors. We "follow" the one who leads us.
And remember, the building isn't "The Church" - we are. Wherever we are. In the mean time, we can still talk to one another and we have the ability to come together wherever we are through the means of the internet etc. This current test may show the source of our strength... or reveal our weaknesses. Either way, if we're responsive to the Lord as we should be, we'll come out stronger at the end of all of this..
The Apostle Paul said "We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us and by our sincere love." (2 Corinthians 6:6 NLT). In this moment of testing and new found opportunities, we should prove ourselves in no less ways. We may have rights under men, but even somewhat isolated, we are still the body of Christ and our rights under Him are not truly threatened. If we cannot stand patiently faithful in this situation for a moment out of loving consideration before the Lord for those most vulnerable and worship our God despite any distance between us, is it the body we crave most or truly Christ who is with us wherever we are? We have freedom to worship Him - there is no law against it. We merely stand patiently apart, only in flesh for a moment with our hearts bound together in Christ.
However deep our longing may be to join once again in fellowship with one another, to those who have truly known Him, there could never be a longing deeper than to embrace forever the One who has given us our freedom forever...
"Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority."
1 Peter 3:22 (NLT)
...and that distance is the distance that I long to reconcile every day, with the complete freedom to still accomplish that task - standing with my hands in the air, sitting, laying down, or on my knees. We all still have it - even now... ... every day.
"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NLT)
I've heard of numerous churches railing against the restrictions placed on large gatherings that affect their ability to once again open the doors. But as I sit back and consider the desire to once again come together as we did prior to the plague of virus that's found its way around the world, I find myself wrestling two separate views.
I can certainly understand and am possessed of a desire myself to once again come together as Christ's family - one certainly stronger and more destined to endure than one simply of flesh. After all, as brothers and sisters in Christ we're more permanently bound to spend eternity together and share one eternal Father in His presence. I miss being together as a local body in the Lord's presence as much as any.
However, the most at risk of falling seriously ill and potentially dying from contracting the virus among the populations of the world are the elderly. And I don't think that it would be a misstatement to point out that the elderly among our brothers and sisters, and the majority of the elders and pastors of "The Church" - those appointed due to the wealth of their experienced wisdom to lead the body of Christ, are among that very faction of the population. The rush to re-congregate for whatever reason, could put them all at risk as they feel obligated out of a sense of duty to rejoin a convening local portion of the body of Christ.
Not only would the older population of the convening body be at potential risk if they feel drawn to attend, but the body itself could find itself at risk if they don't. I would not take anything away from the Lord's ability to lead through youth. I know better, but those anointed to lead and appointed due to the value of their experience and wisdom through the local body were raised to those positions for a reason and a body meeting without them could find itself in trouble. Meeting too soon either way has its risks. Waiting on the Lord for His guidance could only lead us to the right answers and the risks and circumstances for different portions of the body may vary widely making our focus on that guidance critically important when considering when to open the building doors. We "follow" the one who leads us.
And remember, the building isn't "The Church" - we are. Wherever we are. In the mean time, we can still talk to one another and we have the ability to come together wherever we are through the means of the internet etc. This current test may show the source of our strength... or reveal our weaknesses. Either way, if we're responsive to the Lord as we should be, we'll come out stronger at the end of all of this..
The Apostle Paul said "We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us and by our sincere love." (2 Corinthians 6:6 NLT). In this moment of testing and new found opportunities, we should prove ourselves in no less ways. We may have rights under men, but even somewhat isolated, we are still the body of Christ and our rights under Him are not truly threatened. If we cannot stand patiently faithful in this situation for a moment out of loving consideration before the Lord for those most vulnerable and worship our God despite any distance between us, is it the body we crave most or truly Christ who is with us wherever we are? We have freedom to worship Him - there is no law against it. We merely stand patiently apart, only in flesh for a moment with our hearts bound together in Christ.
However deep our longing may be to join once again in fellowship with one another, to those who have truly known Him, there could never be a longing deeper than to embrace forever the One who has given us our freedom forever...
"Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority."
1 Peter 3:22 (NLT)
...and that distance is the distance that I long to reconcile every day, with the complete freedom to still accomplish that task - standing with my hands in the air, sitting, laying down, or on my knees. We all still have it - even now... ... every day.
"No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NLT)
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