Whilst some people may think of a building when you mention the word 'church', the word in the New Testament is used to describe a gathering of Christians. So when gatherings of people are stopped, that pretty much rules out much of what we do as church.
Or does it simply require that we re-imagine the way that we 'do church'? Over these next few days, we're going to have to do a lot of re-imagining.
Keeping in touch is going to be very important over this time of social distancing and self-isolation and therefore I plan to restart my blog. Here's a letter that we sent out via our church mailing list yesterday.
Dear {first name}
Who would have imagined at the start of the year, as we talked about our hopes and desires for 2020, that within ten weeks we’d be facing a situation where most of what we considered ‘normal life’ was closing down and being suspended? People being asked to work from home, not to socialise, not to gather together. The Prime Minister saying that we’re facing the greatest challenge since the Second World War.
Often, we talk about God being in control. Of God not being surprised, but knowing the end from the beginning. I wonder, do we only believe that for the small surprises that come our way – or do we still believe that now? Do we believe it in the light of earth-shattering events?
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| Photo by Val Toch on Unsplash |
In Psalm 46 we read about the earth giving way, mountains falling into the heart of the sea, waters roaring and foaming and mountains quaking. This is poetic language and should not just be taken literally. Certainly, for many people, as they come to terms with the implications of the Prime Minister’s words this afternoon, they are feeling as if the bottom has dropped out of the world. That the world has been turned upside down. Everything that they have put their trust and faith in is suddenly shown to be powerless.
And it is within this earth-shattering context that the Psalmist writes “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble, therefore I will not fear”. The Psalm goes on to remind us that God, the Lord Almighty is with us and ends with the encouragement to “be still, and know that I am God”.
It is my prayer that all of us may know God’s peace and that in the middle of all the turmoil around us we will be able to be still and know that God is with us.
One of the things that we keep being told is that this is a rapidly changing situation. It certainly is. Decisions we took yesterday no longer apply. Many of you will be wondering what the Prime Minister’s announcement means for you personally, and also for the church. It is difficult to plan more than a day at a time at the moment – but the Trustees are in regular contact with each other and are following Government and BU guidance. We held a video conference call last night and will do so again on Tuesday evening.
In terms of the short term – we will be suspending Fabric & Yarns, Bumps & Babes and EDGE with immediate effect. We will seek to get the word out via our Social Media platforms and let as many people know as possible.
We are also suspending home groups and we are awaiting guidance from the Baptist Union regarding what happens on Sunday.
Having said all of that, we will be looking at ways of ensuring that we continue ‘to meet together’ – even if we don’t do that physically. We appreciate that not everyone in the fellowship has the ability to take part in a remote homegroup held over video on their mobile or computer – but many of us will, and some of us will learn fast over the coming few days. For those that can’t then phone calls will continue to be vital.
And then there are the ways that we can help and serve each other and our community. From collecting shopping, to posting letters, to making phone calls … now is the time to ask God how he wants us to be salt and light in this community – how he wants to transform lives through us.
I appreciate that many of you will be worried about the next few days and weeks. Please don’t worry alone and in silence. If you’re anxious about how you’re going to get your shopping, or about how you’ll cope without going to groups like Fabric & Yarns or Oasis Tea then please do phone someone and talk about it.
Please note that the staff will mainly be working from home rather than from the office, so whilst we’ll still be able to respond to email in the normal way, you’ll need to call us at home if you want to phone. Most phone numbers can be found on Church Box – but if you need a paper version of the Church Box directory then please do ask. The best way to contact me is on my mobile which is ***** *** ***. Don’t worry about using this number and disturbing me – I switch it off when I don’t want to be disturbed – but you can still leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Later in the week we will have a clearer idea of what happens next, and I’ll be in touch to let you know.
In the meantime remember that God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Grace and peace,
Keith
