Generally speaking, people don’t like change. We like to know that when we get up in the morning, our coffee maker is on, our eggs are in the fridge, and our vehicles will start.
Due to COVID-19, church gatherings were shut down for a time. Perhaps people have adjusted to the change of not spending Sunday morning in the church building.
What do we do when reopening church requires us to change something we’ve just gotten used to? Is it simply our natural desire to return to our old weekly routine? I hope not. As I’ve spoken with people recently as we make plans to reopen church, I hear that most have a desire to see their church family. That’s a great starting point. However, I hope that what comes out of our reopening is a re-focusing. Yes, flowers will grow as they always have, and robins will return as they always have. But maybe as we return, we have an opportunity to grow differently than we have before. Maybe God has given us the perfect opportunity to restructure the way we do “church” in order to reshape us. We shouldn’t be able to leave a church building the same as we walk in. I fear that was part of the old weekly routine. As we reshape and reopen, I hope we can shape up and leave our Sunday morning gatherings refreshed, encouraged and equipped to do the work that Jesus has called us to.
-Pastor Tim Falk of the Wynyard Gospel Church
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Disclaimer: opinions expressed are those of the writer.
