Pandemic

     Over the past year or so all of life has been affected by the coronavirus.  We have adapted our lifestyles to check the spread of the virus by isolating ourselves, sometimes by choice and other times by suggestion of our authorities.  Guidelines, suggestions, and rules have been enacted and encouraged to help us avert even further difficulties.

    Church life has been greatly affected as we went from open gathering, to no gathering, to precautious gathering.  One thing we have experienced in this circumstance is the necessity for God’s people to gather.  We knew this to be true from scripture.  The early church gathered regularly and frequently.  They gathered for teaching, prayer, koinonia, meals, and to do Kingdom work.  Even in dire circumstances they remained true to gathering.

   The Kingdom has suffered in the isolation of pandemic.  In isolation we do not engage people for the sake of the Kingdom.  We have discovered that our gathering is not about us — we gather for the benefit of Father God, and for the connection that moves us to Kingdom work (the spiritual well-being of others).  We must step up and step out for the sake of those who do not yet know Jesus, are not walking intimately with Him, and need to hear and see how the gospel will transform their lives.