Perspective, Peace, Presence: Covid 19 and Being the Church
Readings:
- Psalm 103
- Philippians 4:4-13
- John 17:20-26
This week has felt like a whirlwind hasn’t it? COVID-19 has upended our lives as day by day the situation has changed.
We’ve got new vocab like “social distancing” and “self-isolation.” Well, maybe it’s not new for the introverts amongst us, but its still a lot to get your head around.
First, I want to acknowledge today that there will be a lot of feelings going on for all of us. Some will be frustrated or angry, others will be feeling panicked or afraid. Some people might be feeling numb or confused. How could this happen all so quickly?
Let me say this – whatever you are feeling, that’s ok. If you feel anxious, better to acknowledge it, to name it and to put it out there. It’s natural to feel anxious about a horrible virus.
If you’re frustrated, that’s ok too. Quarantine and social distancing are wildly inconvenient but there are good reasons for both.
I’ve had all kinds of emotions this week, and if I’m entirely honest have felt a bit overwhelmed.
But you know what?
That’s ok.
Let’s give each other space and be kind because we are all going to process this differently. We all need each other’s help.
This morning I want to reflect on some Scriptures which I have found encouraging and give us wisdom and insight for the times ahead…
I think there are three things that are helpful to focus on in the moment we have found ourselves in:
-Perspective
-Peace
-Presence
Perspective - Psalm 103
The Psalms are always a go to in times likes these.
Tom Wright in his book “The Case for the Psalms” says:
“Sing these songs, and they will renew you from head to toe, from heart to mind. Pray these poems, and they will sustain you on the long, hard but exhilarating road of Christian discipleship.”
Our current moment is part of the long, hard but exhilarating discipleship for us as God’s people in this time and place.
The Psalms are very good at giving us perspective for the journey.
This is so important right now.
Everyone is reacting differently to what is going on right now. From panic buyers to virus deniers, everyone is coming to terms with what is going on at different paces and bringing their own temperaments to the table.
What many of the Psalms do is twofold:
1) Ground us in reality.
2) Remind us of who God is and what God does.
The Psalms name all kinds of feelings and human experiences – joy, sorrow, loss, celebration, anger, regret. They explore the spectrum of life as we know it and ground us in the reality of being a human.
Psalm 103 which we read this morning reminds us that we are but dust, our days are like grass that flourishes like a flower of the field and then is gone.
The reality is that we are mortal, we are frail, we are susceptible to viruses and all kinds of other dangers.
In the normal swing of life, we can forget this. We can maintain illusions of control, but so easily things can take a turn. Many of us have known this personally with the loss of a job, the sudden death of a loved one, or a natural disaster shaking the foundations of our lives.
We are experiencing a communal shaking of this pretension of control.
Collectively we have realized our fragility, our mortality, and how virulent viruses can be. And that is scary.
However, it is just one side of the perspective that Psalm 103 offers.
Psalm 103 recognizes our mortality and our fragility, but in the midst of that it reminds us of who God is and what God does.
“God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
The Lord is the one who “forgives all your iniquity and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit…”
These verses don’t mean that we get out of life alive.
The Christian promise isn’t a perfect life, or one without suffering.
The promise of the Bible, however, is that of ultimate rescue and healing. God will bring his kingdom one day in which there will be no more pain or suffering. This can bring a perspective of hope, a totally different way of looking at what is going on in the suffering of our world.
In the meantime, the promise of the Bible is that God is with us through whatever we face.
Peace - Philippians 4:4-13
In these days we need peace more than ever.
The news and our Facebook feed are full of anxiety and panic.
Paul writes of peace in Philippians chapter 4.
He knows that peace doesn’t come naturally to us. Paul points the Christians at Philippi to a few helpful practices which will ground them in the peace of God.
-Firstly, Paul says when you are worried, pray! We are invited to take all of our concerns and hand them to God. In this Paul says, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
I, perhaps like you am prone to hold on to my own concerns, to mull and to stress or to try and solve them on my own. Yet Paul calls us to be a people of prayer.
-Secondly, Paul says: “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Paul instructs the Christians at Philippi about their thought life. They are instructed to dwell on what is true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, and commendable.
In 2 Corinthians 10 Paul also talks about taking “every thought captive to Christ.”
Let’s face it, with this virus, there are so many opinions and thoughts. A lot of facts, a lot of emotions swirling around, and a lot of bad advice and blame all over social media.
What if, we took Paul’s advice seriously? How might we find peace in bringing our thought life before God and being careful about what voices we are listening to. There is a lot of good information from reputable sources which can give us information to keep each other safe during this time.
Thirdly, Paul says: “I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Here we see a glimpse of Paul’s own story. He was a man who suffered all kinds of misfortune and trouble. The peace of God in his life was forged in his contentment and acceptance of whatever circumstances he found himself in.
It is likely that for us in these times our circumstances will change from day to day. We are invited by Paul to be content in this space, trusting God and asking for him to strengthen us.
We are invited by the Scriptures to come to God in prayer and ask for his peace.
Presence –
Finally, what will matter more than ever in this moment we find ourselves is “presence.” The presence of God with us and our presence with one another as the church, and our presence of love and neighbourliness in our communities.
John chapter 17 is such a rich passage of Scripture in which Jesus prays for his disciples before his death on the cross.
Jesus says:
“As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21)
“I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)
Jesus prays that the love of God may be in his disciples and that when the world sees his disciples, they will see Jesus.
Firstly, disciples of Jesus are called to spiritual union with God.
John teaches of the indwelling presence of God.
The presence of God isn’t found in a church building, it is found in us, it is found in the people of God.
Over the next wee while we are going to need to gather differently. Our worship gatherings have been suspended.
We will be offering sermons and services of prayer online, as well as a whole host of resources for discipleship at home.
Our discipleship groups will continue to meet and we will continue to pastorally care for each other in smaller settings, online, on the phone and in any way we can.
We will keep communicating the best we can with you over this time.
Church is not cancelled, because church isn’t just about us getting together on a Sunday, it is about being a people filled with God’s presence, who worship God and witness to Him in the world.
Amen