Church and Corona Update
I want to speak to us pastorally in this moment during the spread of the coronavirus as it reaches our community. I have so much I want to say, but I have been urged to keep this first message short. I will be live streaming on facebook in a little bit to say a little more.
The church leadership has decided that we will not be having worship this Sunday, and I want to explain why we are making that decision.
It is not because we are fearful. We are not those who buy into hysteria and panic. There is plenty of panic to be found online and on the cable news networks. But I believe we are all wise enough to not get caught up in that. Now, anxiety is something that we may struggle to control, so if you are struggling during these days please call someone. They will remind you of what you already know. God is good. He can be trusted. You are cared for. Breathe. It may also help you to turn off the TV, cable news never helps.
I am confident that this will pass and the worst struggle many of us will have will be the concern that we may not have enough toilet paper. Let me remind you that the most often repeated command in the Bible is “Do not fear.” Usually this command is paired with the promise, “I am with you.” Let us remind ourselves that our greatest comfort in life and in death is that we belong to our faithful savior Jesus Christ. We can rest. We are not our own.
So why then the cancellation? It is because we want to be good neighbors. The church does not exist for itself. It never has and it never will. The church exists for the Glory of God and the good of the world. We are here to worship and to love our neighbors well. There is an outbreak of Corona in Massachusetts traced to a single gathering of 175 people. 175 people came together and shared this virus and then went out from there and spread it to many more.
Now, we all need to remind ourselves that most of those people will be just fine. But some probably have loved ones who are more susceptible to the worst effects. In fact, if the virus spreads too rapidly, some may have trouble getting medical help. People in China, Italy, and certain more affected parts of the US are saying that if they could do it over, they would avoid more spread earlier on.
This is why we are cancelling service this week. We thought it would be a genuinely simple way to love our community. One of our Elders put it this way in an email to me, “I admit that it’s a little hard to accept that NOT going to church can be an act of sacrifice for the good of the world (it’s hardly rushing into a burning building or caring for lepers) but I believe it is the case at this time, and we should be looking for practical ways to serve those in need.”
We would like to try to slow the spread of infection in this community that we all love.
We must always strive to be people who care for others well. And so in this time let me emphasize that we are not called to serve ourselves, but our neighbors. And let me encourage us all to do three things.
1) If you are healthy, gather with your gospel community. Small gatherings are less vulnerable to the spread of the disease, so let us not forsake gathering together! Frankly, some of us may need one another even more right now. Maybe even schedule to gather on Sunday Morning! I will live stream on our facebook page on Sunday Morning. So your whole gospel Community could join and watch together. If you are more vulnerable to this disease, stay home and watch with your family. Invite a friend or two. If you don’t have a gospel community or a group of people to connect with, please text the word “connect” to 701.214.6192 and we will try to get you an invitation to a gospel community before Sunday Morning.
2) Protect others from this disease. Our choice to cancel is not about protecting ourselves or out of some misguided sense of panic. We simply want to slow the spread as much as possible. Washing your hands, avoiding too much personal contact. These things are not about you. Especially if you are young and healthy. These things are about loving and serving our neighbors. In a time like this it is easy to become selfish and protect ourselves. This is not our calling. This is not our purpose. Our purpose is to serve the world. Think about all of your preventative measures in this way. If you are stockpiling toilet paper and other necessities, you are doing it to share. Are you sharing and serving? This is our purpose. This is why we exist.
Let’s use social media as a way of keeping in touch with our neighbors and friends. Ask people how they are. See if they need anything. Be ready and willing to share our supplies and serve our neighbors. This virus seems to be more harmful to the elderly population and those who have a weakened immune system or respiratory struggles. How can we best serve them? We might avoid contact but deliver meals and supplies leaving them on their doorsteps. From what I am hearing it is possible for younger people to be contagious and not even be aware of it. We need to focus on keeping other people safe, not just ourselves. This is what it means to live as a restored people for the good of the world.
I have said this phrase several times in recent weeks as we have been studying the book of proverbs. We, the church, exist for the glory of God and for the good of the world. This is not a time for us to exist for the good of ourselves alone, but for the good of the entire human race. And we need to be wise about how we do that.
3) Finally, I am encouraging us to hope in goodness and to live well. We must not be those who huddle together in fear and dread. Enjoy the small groups that we do gather with. Enjoy our families. Take the time to play a board game at the dining room table, sing and dance together in the living room.
Someone accused me of cowering in fear and giving in to the devil for this decision. On the contrary, I am going to laugh in the devil’s face. I am going to gather with my gospel community and worship. I am going to trust in the God who made all things and commands every virus and every white blood cell. This God who is also the one who made the world and is deeply committed to its restoration. This God who calls on each and every one of us to be committed to the good of the world. We may not gather as a large group this Sunday, but we will always worship, and we will always gather as the people of God.
Do not fear. Make life beautiful in the midst of the darkness. Every breath is a gift. Do not waste those breaths living in fear. It will be tempting for some of us, I know. To be human is to struggle with fear. But God is bigger than all of that. Life is precious. Loved ones are precious. The world is magical and mysterious and wondrous and every moment is a moment of awe and wonder and beauty if only we have the strength to see it. Let us revel in God’s beauty in every moment!
Trusting in him for the good of the world,
Jared
——
There is news here that may be helpful to you. The Jemo team is still making Caramel rolls this week, so if you preordered them please make arrangements to pick them up Saturday at church between 11AM and 2PM. If you can’t pick them up during that time, please give Corrie Mayher a call or text: 701.226.2313.
Please Watch our Facebook Page, the MyBCC app, or your email for more information as we continue to to learn and navigate this situation.
Please let me know if you need anything in the meantime.