I believe that the Coronavirus pandemic has many profound lessons to teach us if we’ll let it.
The pandemic has revealed that we don’t have nearly as much control as we think we do; And that our systems are not nearly as resilient as we’d like to believe. Our systems work great when conditions are optimal (or close to it), but the moment that equilibrium is significantly disrupted we find that our typical way of operating can’t be sustained.
These lessons not only apply to society, as a whole, but to the modern church, as well.
A little over a year ago, God put the church on my heart. He placed on me a desire to dig into it and understand it. And one of the things he put on my heart to dig into was the “church building” and our methods of gathering and functioning.
This digging resulted in a paper. This paper was an examination of the practical effect that the Christian church building has on the identity and culture of the church.
Have you ever wondered why the early church gathered in homes and public places rather than in specially bought or built facilities?
Maybe you’ve never even considered the fact that our buildings have an effect on the church. Or maybe the thought has crossed your mind but you’ve never dwelt on it. Well, with everything that’s going on in the world, now’s the perfect time to dwell on it.
To paraphrase a question that I broached toward the end of the paper:
“If our churches were forced to close their physical doors, would the church survive as it stands today?” In other words: “Would we have any idea of what it meant to be the church if we no longer had the use of our specialized facilities?”
Not for one second have I ever thought that it was a coincidence that God would put on my heart to write a paper asking this question, then less than a year after penning it churches all across the world would be forced to shut their doors.
You can’t make this stuff up, and I certainly couldn’t have predicted it.
I believe that God has allowed for these unprecedented circumstances to open our eyes to some truths we desperately need to see. I believe that He desperately wants us to look for the church that we were intended to be, but we must be willing to hear what He’s saying.
Sure we’re puttering along making due with Skype/Zoom/Face-Time Church and doing the best we can…but have you ever stopped to wonder what our reality would be if we didn’t have the internet right now?
I believe we’d be completely lost, with no idea of what it actually means to be the church. That is a disturbing reality. The church, as originally constructed, was built to be resilient – no – indestructible. It was built to thrive no matter the circumstances.
But does it feel like we’re thriving right now? Or are we simply passing the time until we can get back to “church as usual” again?
It’s my prayer that you will take the time to read my paper and allow it to open your heart to more questions. Use it as a springboard to further seek the identity of the church and the kingdom of God.
I’ve provided a downloadable PDF version of my paper below. Please read it and allow the space to really consider what it says.
I thank you in advance for taking the time to read it. And please, feel free to share this page or the file itself with anyone you feel could benefit from reading it.
I love you all!
=Alex
Thanks Brother!