Our upcoming gatherings might be cancelled, but what defines the church really?

Dear Church,

In light of the most recent restrictions on events and large gatherings issued by both our local and state government we will be canceling our Sunday morning gatherings on March 22 + 29 and other organized gatherings for the foreseeable future. I know it must seem counterintuitive to stop our gatherings in these times; Isn’t “Church” needed the most in time like this? For the sake of the health of the general population and in conformity with the governing authorities we will gladly adhere to the law. The good news is that the church of Jesus Christ has seen many moments like this in History and as much as we value the weekly gathering on Sundays, this is not what makes or defines the Church. As a dear friend of mine loves to remind me, “The Church is not a place where, but a people who.” The Church is the community of the Spirit of God, whether scattered or gathered. We do not need Sunday school, musical worship or a 3 point sermon to live out that Spirit filled identity and community. 

So we encourage you, in the weeks to come that you would continue to be the Church whether we are scattered into homes, gathered on a Sunday morning for worship, or isolated because of the Flu, COVID-19, or other symptoms. Keep loving one another. Take care of one another. Meet the practical needs of those around you. Reach out to your neighbors, especially if they are older. While using the proper “social distancing” offer to pick up groceries or run an errand for them. Extend the love of Christ.

If you, a member of our community, happen to contract COVID-19, please reach out to us! We want to pray for you, get updates on your health and provide/support you in any way possible. 

Since we will not be meeting for our normal services we encourage you, if you are able, to open up your homes to one another whether formally (hosting a gathering) or informally (having a few people over).

As Christians, these should be our normal rhythms:

  • To practice hospitality toward one another often

  • To comfort and encourage one another with God’s truth and the Gospel in times of peace and in times of great fear and anxiety

  • To gather to pray, and ask for God’s protection and deliverance

  • To intercede on behalf of our world, nation and city.

    We encourage you - be the Church!

For the past weeks I have been adding some resources and materials from our studies in Mark. Use your time when you gather to talk through and discuss the questions, or share your story, or do the practices together! For the following weeks the elders and I will be putting some more formal talking points together for those who might want some extra guidance for their gathering and we will post them to the resource page on the website.

Check out the Sermon Reflections or our latest Sermons.

If you plan to host a formal or informal gathering here is a list of things you should highly consider. Groups of ten people or less can meet together with minimal risk, provided that:

  • No one present is sick or has any reason to think they have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2

  • Shared surfaces are disinfected before and after the meeting

  • Everyone washes their hands thoroughly (more than 20 seconds) upon arrival and upon returning to their home

  • Food and drink are served individually

  • As much distance as possible is maintained between members of different households and their belongings

As I’ve mentioned before, our community has seen fires, floods, deaths, sickness, heart aches, trials, and the list goes on. We are resilient and we believe that our God will carry us through this trial as he has done in every other season and situation since the creation of the world. He is always faithful. And I would remind you that the promises contained in the Bible, the the Gospel, is meant for a broken, and chaotic world, not the safe and secure veneer that we hide behind as Westerners. The promises of God were meant for plagues, and fires, genocide, death and defeat. As Paul wrote,  

“We are hard pressed on every side, and not crushed; perplexed, and not in despair; persecuted, and not abandoned; struck down, and not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. [...] Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” ~ 2 Corinthians 4

We love you all, and truly believe that if we step out and into our calling as followers of Jesus in times like these God can and will do amazing things. These are serious and heavy times, but again our Gospel was made for a broken and dying world. So let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and may he establish the work of our hands! I leave you with the wise council of C.S. Lewis when many were spending all their time worrying about bombs dropping on them at any moment.

“The first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb, when it comes, find us doing sensible and human things -- praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts -- not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs.” - C.S. Lewis

Vaya con Dios,

~ Char + the Elders of Refuge Christian Fellowship

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